Special Edition for Ms. Thrasher

TheHer ald

www.astateherald.com

INFORMING THE CAMPUS AND COMMUNIT Y SINCE 1921 Volume 94, Issue 26

Monday, April 6, 2015

www.astateherald.com

Special Edition

In Loving Memory

A special edition of The Herald in honor of our beloved adviser,

Bonnie Thrasher

JONESBORO — Arkansas State University instructor Bonnie Thrasher, 53, was found dead in her home Tuesday morning, March 31. She taught multimedia journalism and was faculty adviser to the student newspaper, The Herald. After earning a master’s degree, she joined the A-State faculty in 1993 and taught news reporting, editing and design.

A memorial service for Thrasher was held 4-6 p.m. Friday, April 3, in the Grand Hall of Fowler Center. For more than an hour, many people shared memories and reflections honoring Thrasher. Her family was in attendance along with more than 150 others. A funeral will be scheduled in Collinwood, Tenn.

Dr. Brad Rawlins, dean of the College of Media and Communication, expressed the significant contribution Thrasher made to the college: “As a journalism faculty member and adviser to The Herald,

Bonnie has had a positive impact on many students, faculty and staff at Arkansas State for more than 20 years,” he said.

“Her former students work in news organizations throughout Arkansas, the Mid-South and across the country.

“We have heard from several of them and they have expressed their love and gratitude for her mentorship and support. She will always be remembered for her fun, brash and lively personality, and for how much she cared for students.

She was a friend to all who knew her and she will be dearly missed.”

Thrasher, who was born on July 7, 1961 in St. Charles, Mo., was very active in national, regional and local journalism professional organizations. She was vice president for the College Media Association, the national organization for college media advisers, and secretary/treasurer for the Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC). She regularly took students

to journalism workshops and competitions, and her students frequently took home several awards from SEJC and the Arkansas College Media Association.

Thrasher, who was a National Merit Scholar, loved painting, cooking and volunteering at the Greene County Animal Farm in Paragould.

In 2007, the Arkansas Press Association awarded Thrasher its Journalism Educator of the Year award. The Jonesboro Sun recognized her as a Freedom of Information hero in 2010.

She was a staunch advocate of First Amendment rights and up-to-date journalism education.

The Bonnie Thrasher Memorial Scholarship has been created in honor of her dedication to Arkansas State University and The Herald. Donations can be made online at support. astate.edu, by phone at 870-972-3940 or by mail to ASU Foundation at P.O. Box 1990, State University, AR 72467.

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015

PAGE 2A

Letters from the Editors

“Her wit was acerbic, and no one will ever be able to replace the sheer wonder of seeing Thrasher poke fun and play along with the office staff. Her tenacity and willingness to fight for us as a staff and defend us as writers and editors were some of her most endearing qualities. As we say goodbye to our dear friend and mentor, I feel it is best to salute her in the way she would have saluted us. Cheers.”

Emma Williams, News Editor

“I didn’t know Ms. Thrasher for that long, only two semesters.

But that was the thing, she didn’t care how long you had been around her, she truly cared for anyone she met. She taught me to never judge a book by its cover, and to never ever give up.”

Jorge Quiquivix, Multimedia Editor

“Bonnie Thrasher taught us how to be journalists. She didn’t merely teach us AP style or how to write a cutline, she taught us an entire way of life that was fearless, investigative and uncompromising. And she is already missed.”

Bethany Gallimore, Opinion Editor

“Ms. Thrasher was a very dedicated woman who greatly influenced the entire Herald staff.

She had a great passion for the newspaper, and it was obvious that she wanted to share that passion with her students.”

Seth Price, Sports Editor

“I unfortunately only had the pleasure of knowing Ms. ThrashOn behalf of the Herald staff, we would personally like to thank everyone who has er for a little under a year. But reached out to us during this difficult time. We have been overwhelmed with kind words even in that short amount of and generous acts throughout the week that have helped ease our aching hearts and continue on the path of moving forward. We believe that the vast amount of tributes, personal time, she pushed me to my curstories, photos, flowers and donations we received in honor of our beloved adviser is the rent position on The Herald and truest testament of how much of an impact she made on the lives of so many people, and greatly helped me refine my writwe consider ourselves lucky and blessed to have been able to read and share those moing skills. I remember when I ments with everyone who has reached out.

The loss of an adviser is something indescribable to a college newspaper staff. It was was in her Multimedia Reporting impossible to fully understand and appreciate the extent of Ms. Thrasher’s work and ded- class I had heard that she was ication to this publication and staff until she was gone. That woman was truly amazing. a very hard critic on the articles She was the soul of our newspaper and the heart of our staff. She grew our confidence, but would not hesitate to put us in our place, which was something that made every single one we were to write for the class. So of us better journalists and better people. Thrasher was the glue that held us together, al- after turning in my very first hard ways there and always pushing us to improve. She spent countless hours working to make news story ever, I expected the sure we had every opportunity available to us.

Though the initial shock and heartbreak is starting to settle down, we are fully aware worst. that there will not be a day spent in this newsroom that we are not hurting over the loss However, all of my stress was of Ms. Thrasher. We will love and miss her forever. We are also not naive to the fact that for naught, as she handed back she is still with us in so many ways. The many skills she instilled within us will be used in everything we do to contribute to the paper and to our future endeavors. For future Herald my article with a smile and a 95 staff members, her influence will still be present, as much of what this paper has become percent on the front page. She is owed in debt to her. Finally, her love and compassion for us and how much she wanted didn’t say anything, and in a rush us to succeed will never be forgotten. Thrasher will always hold a special spot in each of our hearts. Our hope moving forward is that we will continue to honor her legacy by pro- for time I didn’t ask anything, ducing newspapers she would be proud of and improving everyday. She exhibited a great but when I later reviewed her criconfidence in each of us, and I know she is cheering us on, and is probably a lot more sure tiques on my work, besides the of us than we are of ourselves right now. We will not let you down, Thrasher. typical style mistakes made What we would consider to be the most wonderful part of this woman, however, is not associated with journalism, class or the newsroom. It was her love and compassion from a developing journalist, on for those she cared about. Thrasher went above and beyond to make sure we were always the very last page (in red ink, of doing well. Often, she served as a psychiatrist or a parent away from home. She was always course) she just briefly said, “Mithere no matter the time or circumstances. She never put herself first. Her passion and work with animals touched all of our hearts and became something we all admired and chelle, you’re a good writer. You took from her. There was never a moment that any of us felt alone or as though we had just need more confidence.” I nowhere to go or no one to turn to. She wanted the best for each of us, and did everything tried my hardest to follow her she could to help. There was constantly laughter when she was around, and her sense of humor was unlike that of any other person we have encountered. Now, as we face the advice, and at the end of the secoldness of the empty office in our newsroom that serves as the constant reminder of the mester she encouraged me to terrible loss so many of us are coping with, we have many reasons to smile, many reasons apply to The Herald staff as an to keep moving forward and one reason to be better: Bonnie Thrasher. editor. So I did, was hired, and have loved being a part of the “Most people always talk about “Her love for students went beyond paper ever since. And I owe it all pranking Ms. Thrasher, but I will that of most of the other instructo her.” also remember her big prank on tors at Arkansas State; that was evMichelle Gould, Copy Editor me. That is one thing I will always ident through her actions. She conremember about her, is her huge cerned herself with all aspects of Thrasher was influential, encoursense of humor and willingness to helping students, not merely aca- aging, scary and pranky. She pull a prank on any of her students. demics. These things will stick with was one of a kind, and the world I will always carry Ms. Thrasher me the most. She truly cared about will never see another like her.

Cheers. with me where ever I go.” the lives of those she taught.”

EMILY ALEXANDER EDITOR IN CHIEF

Chelsea Hays, Photo Editor

Korey Speaight, Ad Manager

Bonnie Thrasher, Herald adviser, shares a laughable moment with Herald staff members during the staff Christmas party in December.

Allison Nichols, Life Editor

Photo Courtesy of Herald Staff

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015

Gone but not forgotten:

PAGE 3A

Friends share loving memories of Professor Thrasher LINDSEY BLAKELY

2012-13 EDITOR IN CHIEF Sitting across from each other, gorging on oversized chimichangas, Bonnie Thrasher and I laughed at a group of diners who had embarrassed themselves after becoming too intoxicated.

As I sipped my sweet tea at the Kandela Grill, Thrasher leaned over and not-so-quietly whispered, “I’ll order you a margarita if you want one.”

Again, I began laughing uncontrollably.

I was a 19-year-old and clearly would not let my adviser buy me a drink.

“Thrasher, you can’t just offer to get all of your students drunk,” I replied after swallowing the chip I nearly choked on.

She nonchalantly rolled her eyes, as if providing alcohol to minors was an everyday occurrence for her.

“Alright, well if you change your mind just let me know,” she replied with a wink.

I don’t share this memory in an effort to portray Thrasher as someone who regularly breaks the law, but more to reminisce on the kind of person she was.

Someone who was brazen enough to offer a 19-year-old a drink, but also someone who knew that 19-year-old well enough to know she would turn it down. She was also the kind of person who was funny enough to share that joke between two friends.

She was the kind of person who, in her late 40s, would consider someone who was not even legally old enough to drink a friend.

Bonnie Thrasher was called many names over the five years I knew her.

I called her “Thrasher” when addressing her on a regular basis. I called her “Thrash-A-Flash” when I needed something from her, or when I was in trouble.

My favorite, however, was to refer to her as “Flasher” when she was standing next to someone with authority. No matter how important they were, she just answered with a grin and a wink. She was never embarrassed or worried about what connections they might make with that name.

Probably more important than the names she was given would be the titles she held.

She was a professor, an adviser, an award-winning journalist, a

friend, a second mother.

Thrasher was my person.

Through my four years of college, Thrasher meant more to me than any of the friends that I made.

At 19 years old, I became editor in chief of The Herald. It was my junior year. When Thrasher told me I got the job, I smiled to her and said, “does this mean that I am the youngest editor in history?”

She thought about it, and then sarcastically smiled back at me and said, “yes, but don’t brag about that or I’ll take the title away from you just as fast as I gave it.”

And although she threatened me to keep me from discussing it, she mentioned my win in every recommendation letter she wrote for me. Because that’s the type of person she was. Someone who made it a point to keep your feet on the ground, but also someone who praised your success just as hard.

At times, I wondered what she would do without me. At times, I wondered how she put up with me.

Most often though, I wondered what I would do without her.

This question came to my mind multiple times in the four years in which I spent all of my free time in the floor of her offices. It appeared again, multiple times, in the year following my graduation, when we never lost touch and could pretend that our phone conversations were just as rewarding as the times I spent huddled next to her desk.

Once more, this question came to my mind on March 31. It was just after 1 p.m., when I think I felt my heart physically break.

I stood outside of my office, demanding answers from someone who knew nothing more than I did. They just had the unfortunate task of being the messenger.

With tears streaming down my face, I crouched down in the corner I had been standing in, trying to comprehend the news that was just delivered.

Thrasher was there for you no matter what.

And I asked Thrasher, as if she was rubbing She was there in the good times and in the bad. my back like she had when I cried many times before, “what am I going to do without you?”

During my two semesters as editor, I began having seizures. And when I had one at The Herald office late one night, Thrasher made it a point to make sure I was never alone if it happened again.

That meant that whether it was 10 p.m. or 4 a.m., she was there with me. When all of the editors finished their pages and left, Thrasher stayed up late with me. And when I told her to go home, that it was too late for her to be there, she would yawn and smile and reply, “it’s fine.”

Thrasher was someone who I knew I could count on, no matter what. She was my person.

She never let me down.

Sometimes we laughed until we cried, while sitting in her cluttered office, with NPR playing in the background.

Sometimes we argued like a stubborn teenager and a patient, yet determined mother who wasn’t willing to lose a battle for the sake of agreement.

I still haven’t figured out the answer to that question. I’m not sure that I will anytime soon. How do you move on from someone who meant so much to you?

I don’t have the answer. But I can guess.

After graduating in May 2014, I accepted a job and moved to Washington, D.C. After only being there for a few months, I called Thrasher in the middle of the day. As I stood in an alley, with a homeless man next to me asking for money, Thrasher answered the phone as if I was important enough to stop her day for.

I cried to her, with snot and tears running down my face, and told her how much I missed my friends, missed my family, how much I missed her. Thrasher calmly listened to me, and without judgement, she gave me the advice then I think she would give me if I could talk to her today.

“Have a good cry, get over it and get back to work.”

“Thank you Ms. Thrasher.

Thank you for being my professor, my adviser and my editor.

Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.”

Daniel McFadin, Herald Editor 2010-2013

“She was invincible to me and I guess I thought she should live forever because I knew I’d need her forever.”

Molly Carpenter, Fall 2010 Editor in Chief

“It is one of the great blessings of my life to have had Bonnie Thrasher as my academic adviser.”

Lance Turner Online Editor, Arkansas Business Publishing Group, Herald Editor, Spring 1999

“Thrasher wasn’t just important in the classroom and The Herald office. She took an interest in every single one of her students’ lives. She truly, truly cared.”

Wendy Miller, Editor in Chief Spring of 2010, Class of 2010

PAGE 4A

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015

Bonnie Thrasher: A Cherished Friend

Friends and colleagues reflect on Ms. Thrasher’s extraordinary life

Photo courtesy of Mary Jackson-Pitts Ms. Bonnie Thrasher poses with Dr. Mary Jackson-Pitts after A-State’s Fall 2014 commencement ceremony.

DR. MARY JACKSON-PITTS

PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF MEDIA

Awesome, amazing friend! A wonderful confidante, a cherished friend! Bonnie Thrasher arrived on the Arkansas State University campus the year I returned from finishing my dissertation.

She was a defender of free speech and expression. She was a student advocate. She was one of those “hardest teachers I ever had” teachers.

Students were never on her bad side (even though they may have felt that way) because they were always foremost in her mind.

She spent countless hours mentoring and mothering these students. Always with a firm hand and an amazingly loving heart. I recall a student who we found was one semester away from graduating and had decided to drop out of school to take a job, which sounded rather promising for a twenty-something student.

Bonnie was in tears as she coaxed the student to stay and promised him finishing the degree was more important than a short term gain.

She was right and thankfully the student stayed in school, finished and the job opportunity was still there.

She had wisdom as she counseled students in personal matters. While often it was about school, more often than not, it was about a personal chal-

Photo courtesy of Mary Jackson-Pitts Ms. Thrasher with her birthday catch at Craighead Forest Lake.

lenge that a student was facing.

With a gentle and guiding voice she mentored them about life.

For Bonnie, it was always about the student.

She searched diligently for ways to enhance the personal welfare of students. She never really told them what to do in a situation but instead helped them think it through. And, if the decision was less than advantageous, she never judged but instead helped them get out of the mess they were in.

Herald staffers knew she meant business but also gave them room to grow. She was a tough nut to crack and they knew it with one simple look.

Many students were scared of her, but they soon learned she was incredibly soft-hearted.

That soft heart applied to her beloved animals from the fish to the dogs and cats. Bonnie was a champion for animals. I think she had four dogs when I first met her and several cats.

Her dear dogs, Hattie and Ollie, remained by her side upon her death. They know things will never exactly be the same.

As for the cats, rest assured each one was named. Even the cats she fed on her carport, “strays,” were not really strays. Each had their own name.

You know, to Bonnie, every living creature was

important. For Bonnie’s 53rd birthday, I bought her a fishing license and we went out to Craighead Forest to fish.

She said she didn’t mind if we stuck with artificial bait because she really didn’t want to hurt the worms. So I took care of baiting the hook with the worm and she did catch some fish and turned them back.

It was really not about fishing. As my husband says: fishing is about the journey, the people you are with on the fishing trip and the peace afforded us by our Creator as we enjoy nature.

As I mourn the loss of my dear friend, I am reminded that we had a wonderful journey together.

She was not just a colleague but a person who became a part of our family.

She helped with birthday parties for Lillie and Sarah and with scavenger hunts for a Sunday school class of fifth and sixth grade girls and boys.

We said we should go into the party planning business.

Bonnie provided the creative ideas and I would put them into action. Several of the scavenger hunts would end about midnight inside a cemetery.

She had worked in the summers engraving tombstones and had a way of using tombstone references to create wonderfully scary scavenger

“There was only one thing that could guarantee an argument between Bonnie and me–SEC Football: Alabama vs. The University of Florida. She could say “Roll Tide” like none other but we had too much in common to let that fracture our friendship.

We became fast pals shortly after I arrived. She taught me a lot about journalism in Arkansas and about teaching journalism classes at Arkansas State University. She was always serious when it came to standing up for the First Amendment and the Freedom of Information Act. We bought our houses the same year because Bonnie told me about a “repeat buyer’s” program. I respected her as a journalist and a professor. I will miss her most of all as my dear friend.”

Photo courtesy of Sandra L. Combs Ms. Thrasher poses with Dr. Charles Welch, ASU System President, and Sandra L. Combs.

Photo courtesy of Mary Jackson-Pitts Dr. Mary Jackson-Pitts, Dr. Po-Lin Pan and Ms. Thrasher demonstrate that faculty can have fun too at one of A-State’s football games.

-Sandra L. Combs, Assistant Professor, Department of Media

“As I mourn the loss of my dear friend, I am reminded that we had a wonderful journey together, She was not just a colleague, but a person who became a part of our family. ” -Mary Jackson-Pitts, Professor

hunts.

One time she dressed in a sheet and scared the kids to death when she stepped out from behind a tree and tombstone. The kids ran as fast as their little legs could carry them. Bonnie howled with laughter.

I think today Bonnie is howling in heaven. Our family, Stephen, Lillie, Sarah and myself will miss our friend and for the girls their “Aunt Bonnie.”

We are thankful God brought Bonnie into our lives to be a part of our journey. Thank you, Bonnie Thrasher for being you.

We miss you.

Photo courtesy of Mary Jackson-Pitts Ms. Thrasher with her father, Bill Thrasher, at a 2014 A-State game.

Photo courtesy of Mary Jackson-Pitts Ms. Thrasher with former A-State student Hatton Weeks

PAGE 1B

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015

Courtesy of Jack Zibluk

The Herald adviser, Bonnie Thrasher, reads a copy of The Sun in her office. Ms. Thrasher passed away on March 31.

CATLIN LAFARLETTE FORMER EDITOR

If I learned anything from Bonnie Thrasher, it was that a great introduction is vital to pulling readers in. She would probably mark this up with red ink, but no amount of thinking or editing will construct the introduction she deserves.

I still clearly remember the day I stormed out of the Communications Building at Arkansas State University and called my dad to yell about how this new teacher was expecting me—and other students—to miss work for a city council meeting. Who did she think she was, making me miss out on money for a city council meeting of all things?

A year later, I was still going

Tribute to Thrasher

to those meetings. A little less reluctantly this time because I was sitting next to that teacher, cracking jokes about agenda minutes and how badly I had to pee but was too afraid to disturb the meeting.

After hardly a semester into the journalism program, I learned Thrasher, like me, loved cats, and she was always fostering them and spaying and neutering the cute little critters. My best friend and I begged her relentlessly to allow us to come to her cat-cave and cover ourselves in fur and kitty kisses. The semester we graduated she finally granted our wish, gave us her address and allowed us into her home.

I was in awe of the part of the house she had sectioned off strictly for her felines. She was

a tough piece when it came to school, but I saw her passion in caring for these animals with no other home. I was grateful to have her as an adviser.

My senior year, I fought tooth and nail with other professors, graduation advisers and probably every single administration faculty at A-State over switching my degree, making up courses and completing my thesis. Thrasher was there every step of the way. More often than not she gave me the hard truth, but she was always patient and understanding. She saw what I was going through and offered every solution possible to get me to walk across that stage to receive my diploma. While several of my teachers left a lasting impact on my education, Thrasher was

Courtesy of Brooks Sample | Former Herald Photo Editor The Herald adviser, Bonnie Thrasher, gives a famous Thrasher stare at a disgruntled student who had alledgedly threatened her and stole copies of the newspaper.

definitely at the top of the list when it came to guiding me to my career.

Oftentimes I felt like a failure because I wasn’t finding job openings. Thrasher kindly passed applications along to me. I felt terrified driving to Hot Springs for the interview that eventually landed me my current job. Thrasher was ecstatic for me when I told her I would be moving and working for the newspaper. She truly cared about each and everyone of her students and did everything in her power to educate us on not only journalism, but also the juicy gossip on the department’s employees (don’t worry, your secrets are safe with me.)

I remember the first journalism convention I traveled

to in Chicago with the other Herald members and Thrasher, of course. I took her instructions of, “You have to go to at least 10 sessions and write about them,” very, very seriously. I went to those sessions, sleep deprived and hung over, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t turn that essay in on time.

Senior year, New York convention? I sure didn’t go to the required number of sessions and I’m fairly certain I never turned the essay in. In fact, I didn’t even turn in the last assignment for Thrasher’s class.

Guess who still passed with an A. Despite that, I learned practically every ounce of journalism knowledge I have from her. I don’t say that to minimize what my other profes-

sors taught me in the least. I certainly owe my degree to a handful of others at A-State.

But working with Thrasher on The Herald gave me a more real-world experience than I would have received not working on the paper. I understand why she pushed us so hard and I am so incredibly glad she did.

I could write a novel on this great woman. And I hope that one day I will, because she sure as hell gave me enough stories about her adventures to make a bestseller. How lucky I am to have studied under what I consider to be one of A-State’s best professors. I promise to have one more mixed drink for you, fellow crazy cat lady.

Cheers.

Courtesy of Ernie Rice The Herald adviser, Bonnie Thrasher, greets Sara Krimm-Gilmore at the College of Media and Communication Honors Banquet.

PAGE 2B

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015

Scholarship continues instructor’s legacy Journalism scholarship established in memory of Bonnie Thrasher BETHANY GALLIMORE OPINION EDITOR

Bonnie Thrasher taught us how to be journalists. She didn’t merely teach us AP style or how to write a cutline, she taught us an entire way of life that was fearless, investigative and uncompromising.

She didn’t care if we were multimedia journalism, biology or history majors, she taught us to ask the tough questions, write like we meant it and follow up on our hunches. Now, in the wake of her passing, the College of Media and Communication and the Thrasher family have established the Bonnie Thrasher Memorial Scholarship so future students at Arkansas State can continue to receive the world-class education the former instructor would have wanted.

Thrasher was a member of the Journalism Department faculty, now Department of Media, for almost 23 years. She joined the staff in 1993 and taught hundreds of classes in writing, editing, reporting and design in her time at A-State.

“As long as we all continue to make an impact on the developing world of journalism and media in our individual ways, her legacy will live on.”

-Wendy Miller, Herald Editor spring 2010

Her principles for journalism influenced hundreds of students over the two decades of her teaching career, and those students continue to live out her legacy in the scholastic and professional world.

“Given the fact that I was a digital media and design major, I can proudly say that I have the skill set of a journalist because of Bonnie Thrasher,” said Abdullah Raslan of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Raslan served The Herald as a photo editor and graduated Arkansas State in 2012.

Thrasher had high goals for her students, and often pushed writers beyond their comfort zones in order to encourage them to improve.

Lance Turner, a Herald editor for spring 1999, said, “[Ms. Thrasher] instilled in me and my peers a deep sense of journalistic ethics, values and duty to the reader that I carry with me to this day.

I don’t always meet her high standards. But when I miss the mark, I know it, and it’s because of Ms. Thrasher.” Turner currently works as the Online Editor for the Arkansas Business Publishing Group.

Thrasher’s term as The Herald’s adviser allowed her to build oneon-one relationships with students and help them along their paths to professional careers.

“She wrote countless letters of recommendation for me, proofread every cover letter I ever wrote and was the best job reference a recent college grad with zero real life experience could ask for,” said Molly Carpenter, The Herald’s editor in chief for fall 2010. “She advocated for me like nobody’s business. Her interest in me and my life didn’t end when I graduated. And my love and appreciation of her will never end.”

Her commitment to her students extended even outside the classroom and newsroom, and created long-lasting relationships.

“Bonnie was much more than just a teacher,” said Anna Sellers Ramirez, The Herald’s editorial staff member from 2009-2011. “She was a friend to us, and a mom. She was brutally honest and pushed us. Good wasn’t good enough. If she knew we were capable of the best, she kept poking until we got it. I’m forever thankful for that.”

Although the scholarship will in no way replace the teacher, friend and adviser Arkansas State University lost, the scholarship will enable future generations of media and communication students to learn the same principles of journalism Thrasher would have wanted to impart.

“Journalism was a very important part of her life,” said Wendy Miller, The Herald’s editor in chief for spring 2010. “As long as we all continue to make an impact on the developing world of journalism and media in our individual ways, her legacy will live on.”

Donations to the memorial scholarship can be made online at support.astate.edu, by phone at 870-972-3940 or mailed to the ASU Foundation at P.O. Box 1990, State University, AR 72467.

Online Edition The online edition of The Herald will include additional submitted tributes to Bonnie Thrasher.

To send a letter to the editor or memorial card, email emily.alexander@astate.edu or astateherald@gmail.com.

Visit astateherald.com for up-to-date news, sports, opinion and feature stories about the A-State campus and Jonesboro Area.

Thank You

The Herald staff wishes to thank the members of the Northeast Arkansas community who have reached out to us with gifts, monetary donations and comfort while we cope with the loss of our adviser.

Bonnie Thrasher was more than a teacher of journalism, she was a dear friend and mother figure to each of us.

Your time, efforts and support have helped us appreciate the love Ms. Thrasher had in her community, and realize that we can move on and continue making her proud.

Once again, thank you for your support.

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015

Cheers, BLT

PAGE 3B

TANYA GIRALDO

2014 Editor in Chief

I’ve been reluctant to post anything about this day because that would acknowledge the fact that you are really gone. There aren’t enough words to express how much you mean to me and the great affect you have had on my life.

I was nervous to become a writer and swore to never get into the journalism world because of my shyness, but upon opening the door to The Herald at Arkansas State University, I knew I had found my home.

Bonnie Thrasher, you saw in me talent that I couldn’t see in myself. And to this day I am still amazed that you believed in me enough to grant me the responsibility of Editor in Chief my final semester at A-State. Not only did I find in you a mentor, but also a great friend; someone who pushed me to be the very best journalist I could be and who would indulge my silly road trip games.

We talked endlessly of our love for cats and I was so proud to call this pet activist my adviser. You cared deeply about my future, even

fighting for me on a number of occasions.

I have to admit that there were many sleepless nights on production night because you were always happy to offer your professional advice and then we would get lost on plans for the future and gossiped, then I would curse the whole way home for getting tied up in conversation. The next day, when I yawned and looked apologetically at you, you would always wink at me, letting me know that you understood why I was late and looked a mess. I don’t think many students had the pleasure of knowing how incredibly young you were at heart (or the travel knowledge you have stored) and I am so incredibly honored that my bestie and I are one of the lucky few you invited into your home and introduced us to your cat lair.

I will never forget our trips, your fantastic humor and the long chats we would have in that office of yours--covered with papers and knick knacks. You would always let me peek through your

“I will never forget our trips, your fantastic humor and the long chats we would have in that office of yours--covered with papers and knick knacks.

You would always let me peek through your stack of magazines as you gossiped with the radio playing lightly in the background.”

-Tanya Giraldo “14 Editor in Chief

stack of magazines as you gossiped with the radio playing lightly in the background.

It’s hard to believe that I only saw you two weeks ago at Chili’s with Caleb Hennington. I devoured ribs while you asked us questions about our jobs because you always wanted to know how we were doing. Just yesterday I was deciding where I would sit you at my wedding reception and wondered whether you and Sandra L. Combs would be able to hold your tequila. Silly question, because you could outdrink any of us!

I know what you would say. “Wrap it up. Get to your point and don’t lose your audience.” Well, my point is this: I will miss you immensely. You are one of the reasons I love writing and I love my job. Every memory I have of my college years has you in it. And I know that wherever you are, you are having a heck of a time! So, to the woman who has touched my life and the lives of my fellow Herald staffers, you are loved and will never be forgotten.

“I guess the thing I liked and remember most about Bonnie is her sense of humor which was vivid and creative. Though the look on her face when the UPD arrested the guy in her office who was threatening her and other students about a story is priceless and very memorable.”

-Ernie Rice, former Multimedia Specialist at A-State

“My favorite memory of her is when I gave her a framed photo of her face “We had many nicknames for her. Thrash (for when she had her red sharpie photoshopped on top of Chuck Norris’s body holding a gun in one hand and pen), Thrash-A-Flash (her superhero persona) and my favorite, Bunnie (for a cat holding a gun in the other while the American flag waved in the background with an AP style book.” when she was being incredibly sweet).”

-Abdullah Raslan, former photo editor for The Herald -Anna Ramirez, Herald staff editor 2009-2011

“Bonnie was one of the first instructors I had who was genuinely friendly and welcomed students for help, never making us feel we should get a move on so she could get on with her work. Bonnie was always available to help The Herald staffers, but she never pushed her opinions or help onto the staffers. We all respected her, and she’ll be missed.”

-Brian Rodriguez former staff editor

“It is one of the great blessings of my life to have had Bonnie Thrasher as my academic adviser. Thanks to her encouragement, I joined The Herald, where I was rewarded with long nights, hard work, a solid career foundation and a group of life­long friends—including her. I cannot overstate how important she was to me.”

-Lance Turner, Herald Editor, Spring 1999

PAGE 4B

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015

Memorial service Quotable: Students helps friends, relatives remember Thrasher express emotions BETHANY GALLIMORE OPINION EDITOR

Friends, family and former students gathered Friday to celebrate Bonnie Thrasher’s life by sharing stories, advice and wisdom from the former journalism instructor. Tributes ranged from silly to sentimental, yet every person agreed Thrasher had an immense impact on their lives.

For those who knew Thrasher as a professional, she was a fierce defender of free speech and journalistic ethics. For those who were her students, she was initially terrifying yet undeniably caring. For those who were her friends, well, everyone was her friend.

“You just don’t meet people like Bonnie very often,” said Dr. Joel Gambill, former department chair and former Herald adviser.

“Bonnie is just one of those people we will never forget, and she has left footprints on our hearts.” Gambill hired Thrasher to teach journalism and advise the Herald in 1993, and never regretted his decision.

“She didn’t have much tolerance for missed deadlines, but she did have a hearty laugh and a caring attitude,” he said.

Current and former co-workers of Thrasher attended the memorial, and recalled their favorite memories of the beloved instructor.

“Bonnie was one of the first people who embraced me when I came to ASU,” said Sandra L. Combs, assistant professor in the Department of Media. “I truly respected Bonnie Thrasher as a journalist, a professor and a friend.”

Dr. Jack Zibluk, former Journalism Department faculty member, said, “Bonnie wasn’t afraid

of anything. And she still isn’t. And she’s still with us.”

Some of the most touching memorials came from former students of Thrasher.

“I knew from the moment I met her that I wanted to be her friend,” said Lindsey Blakely, A-State alumnus and former Herald editor.

Blakely recalled the long nights spent in The Herald office with Thrasher, who insisted on staying on campus until the paper was finished.

Thrasher was a mentor for Blakely, who even after graduation phoned Thrasher every week to check in and chat.

“She was more than my teacher, more than my adviser, she was my friend,” Blakely said.

Caitlin LaFarlette, former Herald editor and 2014 A-State graduate, said the journalism instructor was always involved in shaping her students into the writers they needed to be.

“She was wonderful, and I know everyone in this room is going to miss her,” LaFarlette said.

Dr. Brad Rawlins, dean of the College of Media and Communication, said the people Thrasher taught weren’t her students; they were family.

“We won’t forget her,” Rawlins said, addressing Thrasher’s relatives. “She’s a part of our lives, and we’re better for it.”

Those wishing to honor Bonnie Thrasher’s memory are invited to donate to the Bonnie Thrasher Memorial Scholarship or to the Greene County Animal Farm, a non-profit, no-kill animal rescue center.

Donations to The Animal Farm may be addressed to 1261 Greene 739 Road, Paragould, AR 72450.

“She would tell you what you needed to hear. Not what you wanted to hear, but what you needed.”

“She’s an intimidating person. Her name is ‘Thrasher.’

There is no small amount of irony in that!”

“Thrasher was always there with unwavering courage and supporting her students all the way.”

“She was scary, but also supportive and encouraging of her students.”

“I’m going to go on record and say that Bonnie Thrasher was one of the hardest teachers in that department.”

“When Bonnie Thrasher said you did a good job, you know you did a good job.”

“She always had a twinkle in her eye and a sarcastic comment, but that comment was softened by the twinkle.”

“She always thought of herself as, first of all, a journalist.”

“To me, she was the very model of what a college instructor should be: wise, witty, empathetic, patient, understanding, insightful, experienced and confident.”

“Thrasher wasn’t just important in the classroom and The Herald office. She took an interest in every single one of her students’ lives. She truly, truly cared.”

“I’m where I’m at now because Ms. Thrasher cared.”

“Bonnie Thrasher didn’t discriminate. As long as you were passionate about your work and had the ambition to create beautiful things, she was on board.”

“She was a constant in my life. I genuinely think that she knew more about my life than my parents did at that time. She knew about who we dated, our latest dramas and what inspired us.”

“She knew what motivated us, what our passions were and what scared us to death. She debated with us, sympathized with us and pushed us toward better things. She never had her own biological children, but she raised all of us.”

“She was a one-of-a-kind lady, and I will be forever thankful I got to spend just a small portion of my life knowing her.”