Jargon, Spring 2014

CONTENTS SPRING 2014

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DIRECTOR’S NOTE

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WINNING WORK

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Award season begins for JMC

PROMISING SCHOLARS

New program rewards strongest freshmen

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PAYING TRIBUTE

Rememberimg Helen Westcott Dix

Q&A with Dean Stan Wearden

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PARTING THOUGHTS

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DISTINGUISHED VOICES

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MEDIA DIVERSITY ABC news anchor wins 2014 McGruder Award

FOUR FOR THE FUTURE

JMC freshmen share their stories

First virtual advertising internships

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JMC speaker series flourishes

OUT OF THE OFFICE

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TWO TRAVELOGUES

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Students Study in Czech Republic and Costa Rica

GLOBAL BEST PRACTICES

National award for International Storytelling course

2013 grads launch new careers

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ALUMNI PROFILES

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FACULTY AND ALUMNI NEWS

Kent State University School of Journalism & Mass Communication 204 Franklin Hall, P.O. BOX 5190, Kent, OH 44242

Phone: 330-672-2572 | Fax: 330-672-4064 | E-mail: thor@kent.edu JARGON is also available online at www.kent.edu/jmc.

managing editor/

STEPHANIE DANES SMITH

art director/ photo editor/

LEAH PERRINO

MARISSA DECKER

production manager/

KATIE BARNES

photos/ Marissa Decker

ON THE COVER: The cover photograph of Olivia Rohde, Cedric Simmons, Hanna Moore and Molly Ying, as well as centerfold, inside front cover and back cover photos, are the work of Marissa Decker, ’13.

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Their Journey is Our Journey Our students are on a journey. We might be with them for about four years, but our purpose is to have an impact that will last much longer.”

I

like to define any journey as having three parts: the destination, the purpose and the impact.

In late February, I experienced all three parts in dramatic fashion. I traveled via bus with a group of students to Big Rapids and Detroit, Mich. The destination of our trip was the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University and then the African-American History Museum and Motown in Detroit. The purpose was to better understand the history of African-Americans in our country and their important place in the fabric of our society. I’ll get to the impact in a moment.

It was a long bus ride, the final hour through a blinding snowstorm. As I sat and listened, the conversations began. These were not conversations about the students’ homework or midterms, and they certainly weren’t about the next party. These students, made up of JMC and Pan-African Studies students, black and white, domestic and international, were talking about race, ethnicity and culture.

And they were doing it with respect and without judgment.

photos/ Marissa Decker

The impact of seeing the racist images that have permeated so many levels of our country was unsettling. The brutality in how slaves were treated

and how “free” blacks continued to be treated for 100 years was harsh.

But nothing prepared me for the emotions I felt witnessing our students trying to cope with what they were seeing and hearing and feeling.

Students sometimes cried, often stood in silence and consistently promised to make a positive difference. I could not have been more proud of them.

So as we look at all of our students, we must realize they, too, are on a journey. We might be with them physically for about four years, but our purpose is to have an impact that will last much longer.

And sometimes, our students have an even greater impact on us.

This issue of JARGON is dedicated to our students: to those who are just beginning their journeys, those whose journeys have taken them in unexpected directions and those whose journeys have come to a successful destination. And always, this magazine is dedicated to you – JMC family members who make a difference to our current and future students.

Thor Wasbotten Director, School of Journalism and Mass Communication

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JARGON | SPRING 2014 | ISSUE 2

JMC NEWS

WIN, PLACE, SHOW: Students Earn National, International and Regional Honors

NEWS21 FELLOWSHIP JACOB BYK, a junior visual journalism major, has been awarded a prestigious 2014 Carnegie-Knight News21 Fellowship. Byk is one of only 19 student journalists from 16 universities across the country selected for this paid summer fellowship.

Students selected as News21 fellows conduct in-depth reporting on critical national issues, travel throughout the country and use innovative digital reporting techniques. The 2014 participants will investigate state gun control efforts and gun rights issues.

This is the second year in a row that a JMC student has been selected for a News21 fellowship. Last year, JMC news major DANIEL MOORE, the first JMC student to be awarded a News21 Fellowship, was part of a team of 24 student journalists who examined the significant re-entry challenges facing post9/11 veterans.

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Overall, JMC finished fourth in the nation in the Intercollegiate Photojournalism competition of the William R. Hearst Foundation Journalism Awards. This is Kent State’s highest intercollegiate finish ever. In the 2012-2013 academic year, Kent State finished seventh in the nation in this photojournalism competition.

JENNA WATSON, a junior visual journalism major, earned a fifth-place finish and a $1,000 award in the William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s annual Photojournalism News & Features Competition, and JMC earned a matching grant. Watson’s portfolio was selected from a record-setting 108 entries submitted from 59 schools nationwide.

KAITLYNN LEBEAU, a senior journalism major, placed eighth in the Television Features Competition and earned a certificate of merit. LeBeau’s work was selected from 79 entries in this competition.

LeBeau profiled JMC professor GARY HANSON’S struggle with a rare form of cancer.

MARK HAYMOND, a senior news major, won ninth place in the feature-writing competition for “The G Word,” a profile of Canton’s skill game parlors, which appeared in the April 2013 edition of The Burr. This year, the contest received a record 148 entries.

CHRISTINA BUCCIERE’S account of recovering from an almost-fatal case of meningitis earned the senior journalism major a sixth

place finish in the Intercollegiate Personality/Profile Writing competition. Her story, which was featured on the cover of the December 2013 issue of The Burr, was selected from 105 writing entries submitted by 55 schools.

Kent State is currently in ninth place in the year-long Hearst writing competition. Final winners will be announced later this spring.

COLLEGE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR JMC student photojournalists distinguished themselves from hundreds of student photographers by again earning awards in the 68th College Photographer of the Year (CPOY) competition at the University of Missouri. More than 600 students from 115 colleges and universities in 19 countries competed in this year’s CPOY awards, making for a crowded and highly competitive field.

KRISTIN BAUER, ’12, captured a gold medal in the domestic picture story category for “Her Own Two Feet,” which depicts the struggle of a single mother of three living in the projects in Northeast Ohio.

photo/ Jenna Watson

News21 was established by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and is headquartered at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

WILLIAM R. HEARST FOUNDATION JOURNALISM AWARDS

photo/ Jenna Watson

JMC CONTINUED TO EARN national, international and regional acclaim in award programs. Early results from the 2013-2014 academic year include these impressive honors:

JMC NEWS

Kristin won the silver medal in this category last year.

PINNACLE AWARDS: • TV2 won 2013 TV Station of the Year for the second year in a row.

• The Agenda, TV2’s topical comedy-satire show, won Best TV Entertainment Program.

• TV2 also was a finalist in four of five TV categories in the 2013 national competition, including Best Sportscast and Best Newscast.

JENNA WATSON took home an “award of excellence” for her fifth-place finish in the sports action category.

COTY GIANNELLI, ’13, took home two “awards of excellence.” The first was a fourth-place finish in the portfolio category for photos he shot last summer in Syria; the second was a fifth-place finish in the international picture story category, also for his work in Syria.

Giannelli’s work in Syria also garnered the Rick Mahan Best Student Portfolio award in the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar.

BROADCAST EDUCATION ASSOCIATION FESTIVAL OF MEDIA ARTS

photo/ Jenna Watson

photo/ Jenna Watson

Graduate student KATHRYN CODUTO and senior news majors ALLIE JOHNSON and DAVID HRVATIN won third place in the multicamera live-to-tape category for “TV2 Election 2012” film.

ASSOCIATED COLLEGIATE PRESS/COLLEGE MEDIA ASSOCIATION JMC earned significant honors at the national convention of the Associated Collegiate Press/ College Media Association (ACP/ CMA), including:

BEST OF SHOW AWARDS: • The Daily Kent Stater and The Burr both placed in the top 10 in Best of Show.

• Second place for headline writing.

• Third place for design.

DKS has a history of winning major honors in ONA’s statewide competition. In 2009, the year ONA and the Ohio Newspapers Foundation established the competition, DKS was the inaugural “general excellence” winner. Last year, DKS won first place for headline and editorial writing.

News of student and team awards is regularly updated on www.kent.edu/jmc.

• The Burr placed fourth overall in the feature magazine competition, and the Daily Kent Stater was ninth in the four-year daily broadsheet competition.

BEST OF COLLEGE DESIGN AWARDS: • The Daily Kent Stater also won third place for Newspaper Editorials/Opinions in CMA’s Best of College Design competition for its post-presidential election opinion page.

The ACP/CMA national convention is the largest gathering of college journalists and advisers in the world.

A photo from Jenna Watson's award-winning portfolio.

OHIO NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION COLLEGIATE AWARDS The Daily Kent Stater (DKS) won several awards in this year’s Ohio Newspaper Association (ONA) Collegiate Newspaper and Best Website Competition: • First place for news coverage and sports coverage.

• First place for editorial writing for the work of former DKS opinion editor JODY MICHAEL, ’12.

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JARGON | SPRING 2014 | ISSUE 2

JMC NEWS

Recognizing Promise: JMC launches new Promising Scholar Awards for incoming freshmen TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN THE STRONGEST STUDENTS IN THE NATION, JMC is introducing a financial award program specifically designed for first-time freshmen entering school in fall semester 2014.

The Promising Scholar Awards will provide $2,000 a year, renewable for up to four years, to the eight highest-achieving incoming freshmen in each of JMC’s undergraduate degree programs: advertising, digital media, journalism and public relations.

The top two incoming freshmen will be awarded $3,000 a year, renewable for up to four years, as Ralph C. Darrow Promising Scholars. Darrow was a founding figure in JMC’s public relations program.

“Our School has made a commitment to provide scholarships to the highest-achieving incoming freshmen who are committed to an education at JMC,” said THOR WASBOTTEN, JMC’s director.

“This scholarship is intended to help throughout their four years in our School. Attracting top students has become more competitive than ever, and the Promising Scholar program will help us and our students tremendously.”

THE PROMISING SCHOLAR AWARDS PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT, RENEWABLE SUPPORT TO THE 10 HIGHESTACHIEVING INCOMING FRESHMEN.” process, which required them to write an essay, submit original work samples and letters of recommendation, in addition to providing high school transcripts and college aptitude test scores.

The Promising Scholar Award is renewable if students remain in good standing in JMC. These awards are funded through the generosity of private donors, including alumni, media and communication industry leaders and members of JMC’s Professional Advisory Board.

Matching gifts from the College of Communication and Information also help fund the program.

The 10 Promising Scholars were selected this spring by JMC’s Recruitment and Retention Committee and approved by Wasbotten.

A reception in September will bring donors and scholars together for the first time.

To be eligible for a Promising Scholar Award, a student must be a first-time freshman and must have completed the application

Donors will continue to serve as active mentors to the promising scholars during their four years at JMC, and students and donors will communicate at least once a semester.

JMC Endowment at All-Time High THE JMC ENDOWMENT HAS REACHED A HISTORIC HIGH of $4.6 million, which represents a $1.2 million increase in funds in a single academic year. This total includes more than $1.8 million in Endowment Scholarship funds.

In real terms, these funds translate into a 35-percent increase in the overall endowment and a 118-percent increase in endowment scholarship funds.

These funds have come to the School either as direct donations or bequests.

“The generous support we have received this past year will allow us to support more students in our School and at a higher financial level,” said THOR WASBOTTEN, JMC’s director. “The increased scholarship funds will have a direct impact on the

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opportunity for our students to afford going to college.”

Strong endowment and spendable scholarship funds also help JMC attract and retain some of the strongest communication students in the nation. This year, for the first time, JMC launched a new financial award program for the 10 strongest incoming freshmen (above).

"I am deeply gratified that alumni and friends of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication have contributed to our students in such an unprecedented way. They clearly understand the need and the importance of the mission,” said GENE FINN, vice president of Institutional Advancement at Kent State.

There are many ways for alumni and friends to donate to JMC. To find out more, contact Christine Isenberg at cisenber@kent.edu or 330-672-2767.

JMC NEWS

LEGEND AND LEGACY: New Gift Pays Tribute to Helen Westcott Dix Journalist. Businesswoman.

Philanthropist. Humanitarian. Wife.

Mother. Friend.

The life story of HELEN WESTCOTT DIX, a 1938 graduate of Kent State University, had many narrative threads. Woven together, the threads create the portrait of a vibrant woman, a natural leader and a long life, fully lived.

When Dix died in October 2013 at the age of 96, she was honored by family and friends and by a community that knew Westcott Dix and her husband, Robert, for their work as publishers of the KentRavenna Record Courier and from an impressive array of charitable causes and community service.

Westcott Dix was honored as well in the corridors of JMC, where her photograph was displayed on office doors; on JMC’s social media sites, where tribute messages were posted; and during the annual William D. Taylor Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony at homecoming, where a moment of silence was shared in her memory.

At JMC, we knew and remember Dix best as a woman of achievement and founding figure. A high school journalist, Dix attended Kent State before there was a journalism major.

That didn’t stop her from writing for the Daily Kent Stater, becoming its editor her senior year and befriending William Taylor, the School’s founder.

Later, she helped form the Kent State Journalism Alumni Association, went on to win the William D. Taylor award

in 1957, and the JMC Women of Distinction award in 2005.

At JMC, Westcott Dix is respected as a forward thinker -- a woman with a passion for the rising generation of journalists, a passion clearly demonstrated in 1996, when the Robert C. and Helen Westcott Dix Scholarship was created to help journalism and mass communication students pursuing careers in news.

Since then, 32 JMC students have benefited from the generosity of the Dix family and friends. Countless journalism students have spent time in the Stater adviser’s office that bears her name, another reflection of Dix family generosity.

Now, even more JMC students will come to learn the story of Westcott Dix and benefit from the generosity of her family. A significant gift from the estate of Westcott Dix has tripled the Dix family endowed scholarship at JMC, allowing the School to increase the number of students who will benefit from financial support.

“There are few people who represent the best of our School more than Helen Westcott Dix,” said JMC Director THOR WASBOTTEN. “JMC is about preparing students to be solid writers, to break barriers and to be valuable members of their communities. Mrs. Dix accomplished all that and more. We are grateful for her support through the decades and in the years to come.”

WE KNEW AND REMEMBER HELEN WESTCOTT DIX BEST AS A WOMAN OF ACHIEVEMENT, FOUNDING FIGURE AND A FORWARD THINKER WITH A PASSION FOR THE RISING GENERATION OF JOURNALISTS.”

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JARGON | SPRING 2014 | ISSUE 2

JMC NEWS

LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD An Interview with Departing Dean Stan Wearden

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Two events stand out. The first was the merger of the old School of Journalism with the Division of Telecommunications to form what is now JMC. The second was the move to the beautiful, sophisticated facility in Franklin Hall. Both events were critical to the evolution of the School into what it is today. Both helped propel the School to national prominence and position it for the 21st century.

Q. What are the greatest strengths and challenges of the School?

The School has three great strengths: students, faculty and leadership. I have had the privilege of doing a lot of traveling in my career, including various program reviews at other universities. Our students and faculty are equal to, and in most cases superior to, students and faculty I have met anywhere in the nation or in the world. Our students are amazingly engaged and passionate about what they are learning. Our faculty are among the best qualified and most student-centered I have ever met. And the School has had a series of very strong directors, including current Director THOR WASBOTTEN. I see four challenges. First, digital media are transforming the landscape, and it is important for the School to be vigilant about maintaining our relevance. The second challenge is related to the first: We need to be proactive about telling prospective students and their parents why a JMC degree is relevant and important.

There is a lot of negative information out there about the industry. The information is largely wrong or outdated, but it is up to us to show students and parents the tremendous value of a JMC degree. Third, we need to increase the quality and quantity of scholarship produced in JMC. The faculty have made tremendous strides in that direction, but there is more to be done. Finally, JMC needs to continue to embrace the fact that we now live in a global economy. This has two important implications for JMC: It must continue to encourage as many domestic students as possible to study abroad, and it must continue active recruitment and

Wearden photo/Dave Forster; LeBlanc photo: University Communications & Marketing

Q. You spent 20 years on the JMC faculty. What event at JMC has had the most significant impact on you?

photo/ Dave Foster

OUR STUDENTS AND FACULTY ARE EQUAL TO, AND IN MOST CASES SUPERIOR TO, STUDENTS AND FACULTY I HAVE MET ANYWHERE IN THE NATION OR IN THE WORLD.”

AFTER 30 YEARS AT KENT STATE – 20 OF THEM SPENT AS A FACULTY MEMBER AT JMC – CCI DEAN STAN WEARDEN will retire on June 30 and become senior vice president and provost of Columbia College Chicago, effective July 1. JARGON asked the departing dean to reflect on his experiences at Kent State and the future of journalism and mass communication.

JMC NEWS

integration of international students. Both of these things will be transformative, and both increase JMC’s intercultural knowledge, competence and empathy.

Q. Change is a constant in the communication industry. What trends do you believe will matter most?

Digital communication technology will continue to transform our industries for many years. Communication devices will continue to grow smaller, more mobile and more personal. We must become leaders in this trend. The basic ingredients of a good story -- whether it's news, a PR message, a commercial message, sports or entertainment -- haven't changed in thousands of years: drama, relevance, impact, currency, accuracy, balance, etc. But the media we use for telling stories are changing at breakneck speed. We need to be able to pull together the traditions of storytelling and become experts on packaging stories in a compelling multimedia format. And we have to be accurate and ethical as we do it.

Q. How have JMC alumni shaped the School?

JMC alumni are among the most engaged at Kent State. They have a genuine attachment to and affection for the School, and they want to do their part to keep it relevant and to make it great. The generosity of our alumni in sharing their time, talent and wealth has always amazed me. Whether it's serving on an advisory board, offering an internship, mentoring a student, speaking to a class or donating money for scholarships and facilities, our alumni are leaders among all alumni groups at Kent State. They understand that without their help and support, the School will begin to slip in prominence and importance, and they are determined not to let that happen.

photo/ Dave Foster

Wearden photo/Dave Forster; LeBlanc photo: University Communications & Marketing

Q. Any parting words of advice for our students today?

Believe in yourselves and in the institution you have chosen for your education. I think people are really beginning to get the message that Kent State University is an international leader in higher education. But there are still a few naysayers out there. Don't listen to the negative voices. You are getting a truly first-rate education, and you will see its value repeatedly in your lives and careers. Believe in it. While I'm on that topic, faith in the positive is always a winning strategy. We don't advance as individuals or as a society by focusing on fears and negativity. We advance through faith that we can make ourselves and the world better. So shut out the negative chatter in your own heads, and avoid the naysayers in life. Don't stop believing you can make a difference, and don't listen to people who try to tell you that you can't.

LEBLANC NAMED INTERIM DEAN ANNMARIE LEBLANC will serve as interim dean of Kent State University's College of Communication and Information, starting July 1.

LeBlanc has served as director of Kent State's School of Visual Communication Design since 2007. A search for a permanent dean will begin later in the year.

Q. For its 60th edition, The Burr published a Kent State bucket list. What’s left on your Kent State bucket list?

That's a hard question to answer. I have seen so many dreams come true here -creation of the college, transformation of the university and the city -- it's hard to think of anything we haven't achieved. I want to enjoy this beautiful campus and beautiful city as much as possible before I leave for Chicago. My bucket list items? Some long walks in warm weather, coffee outside on a sunny day with people I love in a place I will always cherish.

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JARGON | SPRING 2014 | ISSUE 2

JMC NEWS

2013-2014 Diversity Speaker Series Brings Distinguished Voices to JMC A Pulitzer-prize winning couple. An Emmy® nominee.

And a civil rights exhibition. The Diversity Speaker Series program for 2013-2014 continued to showcase diverse voices and stories that matter.

HUMAN RIGHTS

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

CIVIL RIGHTS

Husband-and-wife duo NICHOLAS KRISTOF and SHERYL WUDUNN, who combine journalism and activism in their unique brand of reporting centered on human rights abuses and advocacy, spoke about worldwide maltreatment, marginalization and brutality toward women, the topic of their best-selling book “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,” which draws a compelling picture of the trials and triumphs of women struggling for opportunity and equality. Kristof and WuDunn were the first married couple to win a Pulitzer Prize in journalism for their coverage of China's Tiananmen Square democracy movement.

The Emmy®-nominated filmmaker and internationally awarded photographer MAISIE CROW shared her story and screened her most recent film, “The Last Clinic,” an in-depth look at both sides of the abortion battle in Mississippi, where new legislation seeks to close the state’s last remaining abortion clinic. Crow’s 2012 short film, “Half Lives: The Chernobyl Workers Now,” won an Overseas Press Club Award and was recognized by the World Press Multimedia Contest, Pictures of the Year International, Best of Photojournalism and the Lumix Fotofestival. Her multimedia project, “A Life Alone,” was nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy®. Her appearance was JMC’s first collaboration with the Kent State Women’s Center.

“They Led the Way,” an exhibition that tells the stories of eight students who desegregated Leon County, Florida, public schools 50 years ago, exhibited in the FirstEnergy gallery during February and March as part of the University’s official celebration of Martin Luther King Day and Black History Month.

The exhibition was the work of JMC professor ANN SCHIERHORN, and featured photographs by JMC’s photojournalism program coordinator, DAVID LABELLE. The opening reception featured comments from MAHLON C. RHANEY, JR., one of the eight students.

Above: Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn Left: Maisie Crow Top Right: Ann Schierhorn Bottom Right: JMC students, faculty and friends experienced “They Led the Way” on opening night photos/ Dave Foster

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JMC NEWS

ABC News Anchor is 2014 McGruder Award Winner BYRON PITTS, ABC News Anchor & Chief National Correspondent, was named the 2014 winner of the Robert G. McGruder Distinguished Guest Lecture and Award. The award recognizes the accomplishments of media professionals who encourage diversity in the field of journalism.

Pitts was honored at the annual awards lecture and luncheon on March 31. The lecture and luncheon were co-sponsored by JMC and Kent State's Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

A multiple Emmy® award-winning journalist, Pitts previously spent 15 years working for CBS News where he was the National Chief Correspondent for "The CBS Evening News." Currently, his stories can be seen on "Good Morning America," "Nightline" and "20/20" for ABC News.

“Diversity is the path to telling hard truths in a dignified way,” Pitts told the students, faculty, administrators and friends of Kent State, including regional media industry representatives, who packed the Kiva to hear his remarks. Pitts sees diversity as a necessity – not as a matter of political correctness. “If our industry is to survive, we must embrace diversity.”

Pitts shared the amazing story of his own background, as the son of a single mother in East Baltimore. He didn’t read until he was 12, he spoke with a stutter and tests indicated he was mentally retarded.

His mother refused to accept the diagnosis, and she and Byron had faith in his dream – to be a correspondent for “Sixty Minutes.”

“My mother and I prayed about it. I saw my learning disability and stutter as gifts from God. I felt I had a gift for storytelling because I knew as a kid what it was like to be voiceless,” he said.

Pitts encouraged JMC’s student journalists to seek those whose voices are not heard. “Diversity is bringing different voices into the box. All the wonderful technology you have at this School is just a tool. Journalism lives in the conversations we have. It’s about shining light in dark places, and giving voice to the voiceless.”

The national correspondent inspired students with his career advice.

“Have outrageous dreams for yourself – dreams so bold they make others laugh,” he said. “But every dream has an address. Know specifically what your destination is. Dream big, plan small.”

CONSTANCE D. HARPER, associate publisher and editor of the Cleveland-based Call & Post newspaper, which has editions serving the African-American communities throughout Ohio, was also recognized at the annual McGruder luncheon as the 2014 Diversity in Media Distinguished Leadership Award winner.

After the luncheon, Pitts and RUSS MITCHELL, managing editor and lead anchor at WKYC-TV Channel 3 in Cleveland and 2013 McGruder Award winner; DEBRA ADAMS SIMMONS, the editor of The Plain Dealer and 2012 McGruder Award winner; and ALBERT E. FITZPATRICK, ’56, retired assistant vice president of the Akron Beacon Journal and 2005 McGruder Award winner participated in a conversation on diversity that was moderated by WEWS anchor Leon Bibb. The conversation is available on JMC’s YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/user/KentStateJMC. The late Robert G. McGruder was a 1963 graduate of Kent State and a foundational local figure for diversity in journalism. He was the first black editor of the Daily Kent Stater and first black reporter at The Plain Dealer. McGruder marked several other firsts in his career, becoming the first black president of the Associated Press Managing Editors group and the first black editor of the Detroit Free Press.

JMC’s Shelton Honored as Kent State’s 2013 Diversity Trailblazer photos/ Dave Foster

Associate professor GENE SHELTON, ’72 AND ’04, was awarded the University's 2013 Diversity Trailblazer Award by President Lester A. Lefton in November and honored at the University’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in January.

Kent State's Diversity Trailblazer Award recognizes faculty, staff or a departmental group for their significant contributions to enhance diversity and inclusive excellence at Kent State.

"There were several strong nominations for the 2013 Diversity Trailblazers Award, but out of them all, Gene Shelton's rose to the top," said ALFREDA

BROWN, vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Kent State.

"Gene Shelton is known as a champion of inclusive diversity and a strong advocate for diversity issues in faculty deliberations. His quiet, passionate but firm way of encouraging openness and helping others understand the challenges of diversity has had a lasting impact upon his colleagues."

Shelton, who joined JMC’s faculty in 2003, is the School’s diversity coordinator and co-chair of its Diversity and Globalization Committee (JARGON, Spring 2013). For the past 11 years, Shelton has managed the prestigious McGruder Lecture and Awards Program.

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JARGON | SPRING 2014 | ISSUE 2

PROMISING

Four freshmen share their stories FIRST IMPRESSIONS. FIRST CLASSES. FIRST DAYS OF INDEPENDENCE. Freshmen in JMC’s class of 2017, like college freshmen of every era, start college filled with aspirations and apprehensions.

But today’s freshmen face some remarkable new challenges, too: sweeping technological changes that continue to transform the communication industry, an aggressive job market where hundreds of applicants often vie for the same job and new business models that trend toward freelancing and independent

contracting. These factors require today’s freshmen to begin charting their professional courses from “day one” of their college careers by participating in JMC’s nationally recognized student media, student professional organizations, networking opportunities and personal brand building.

Each member of the class of 2017 has a fascinating story to tell.

In this issue of JARGON, we highlight four stories about four freshmen who are, indeed, off to promising starts.

An honors student and member of the Provost’s Leadership Academy, Moore is pursuing a degree in public relations. Her interest in the field was fueled by her own research and the experiences of her cousin, TAYLOR TITUS, ’13. “When I was investigating careers, I discovered public relations. I like writing and speaking, and I discovered that PR professionals do a lot of the things I’m good at. I also talked with Taylor, who got her degree in PR. She had great experiences in JMC’s PR program and made good friends here.”

Moore dug into her major right away. “From day one, I was in JMC classes like Multimedia Newswriting and Multimedia Techniques. I liked the professors and I liked the smaller classes. It just felt right.”

The newswriting class was the highlight of Moore’s first semester.

“I had never written a news story before. Professor [CANDACE] BOWEN knew we were beginners. She worked us through it. I put in a lot of extra time, and I ended up writing articles I’ll put in my professional portfolio.”

Hanna visited Kent State for the first time in February 2012 – an undeniably chilly season for college visits. But a tour of Franklin Hall ignited a spark in Hanna. “Seeing the newsroom and the TV2 studio made me want to get involved. Franklin Hall definitely has a professional feel to it. The technology and classrooms are up to date. The facility feels very real.”

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She also joined PRSSA Kent early in fall semester. “I was intimidated at first, but [senior] MEGHAN CAPREZ is my PRSSA mentor, and she made me feel confident because she was looking out for me.”

In spring semester, Moore strengthened her focus on learning experiences that will advance her career interests, such as the Public Relations Case Studies course. “I am one of the youngest students in the class, and it’s intimidating. But it’s a small class and we work in teams with a real client, and that’s really cool,” she says. “Actually, it’s more than a class. It’s my first real test of my professional goals.”

photo/ Marissa Decker

For Hanna Moore, it was love at first sight. The North Olmsted, Ohio, native recalls, “Once I visited Kent State, I knew there was nowhere else I wanted to go. After I toured Franklin Hall, I could see myself going here and doing really well.”

photo/ Marissa Decker

HANNA MOORE

PROMISING STARTS

G STARTS She also joined the Daily Kent Stater as a designer to “understand how newspapers and deadlines work.”

Moore would like to work in corporate PR for NBC, ABC or Disney and is already considering internship options while building a portfolio of her work. “By the time I interview for an internship, I will have a strong portfolio. And my personal brand is emerging.”

What’s next for Moore? “I’m considering a production position with TV2. I want to try everything while I’m here.”

It’s a friendly culture here. You meet people from different majors and different walks of life, and you share JMC as a common interest.”

For Rohde, Kent State is a family affair. “My brother went here, so I know the campus and I like it here.” She commutes from Aurora each day, and finds the campus to be beautiful and accessible. “I love the trees, and I love how easy it is to get around here. And there are a lot of resources – the writing center, labs and commuter lounges.”’

Rohde first stepped foot in Franklin Hall during the Destination Kent State orientation in June 2013. “It was very modern, with great classrooms and without traditional desks. I felt comfortable, and not at all overwhelmed,” she recalls.

Rohde’s first semester experience was equally positive. “I took classes like Introduction to Mass Communication, Principles of Advertising, Modern History and Human Geography. I didn’t expect my classes to be so closely connected. My Modern History class related to Intro to Mass Communication. Everything I learned was useful and interrelated. And everything was interesting – everything applied to real life. We’d read about advertising campaigns and then see the concepts applied.”

Rohde recognizes that commuters often face unique acclimation challenges on residential campuses. “It’s harder to make friends as a commuter, so you have to focus on meeting people in class.

Fortunately, it’s a friendly culture here. You can meet people from different majors and different walks of life, and you share JMC as a common interest.”

photo/ Marissa Decker

photo/ Marissa Decker

OLIVIA ROHDE The high school-to-college transition wasn’t the steep uphill climb that advertising major Olivia Rohde expected. “In high school they warn you that college is such a big change. You expect that your professors won’t care, but here at JMC, they do care,” she says.

“Professors here make sure you understand the syllabi and they meet with you when you need help.”

Co-curricular experiences play a large part in Rohde’s academic plans. She aspires to work for an advertising agency, so she plans to join Franklin Advertising Associates, JMC’s student advertising club. She is also interested in having her own show on Black Squirrel Radio. “There are lots of chances to get involved here,” she says.

“What you put into your experience here is what you’ll get out of it.

It’s important to take an active interest in what you’re learning.”

Balance is also important, she emphasizes. “Learn to set aside time to do homework, be involved with organizations and be with friends.”

Rohde offers a final piece of advice that is completely in keeping with the freshman experience: “Carve out specific time to sleep.

Sleep is very important!”

Continued on page 14

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JARGON | SPRING 2014 | ISSUE 2

PROMISING STARTS

other students. “I was expected to be an example to others, so I stepped in and did my best. The experience taught me to be independent and trained me to be an efficient college student.”

The experience paid off. Cedric is now on the Dean's List. “I’m doing way better than I ever did in high school,” he says.

Key to his academic success is being at “ease” at JMC. “When I first came to Kent State for a visit in March 2013, I wasn’t certain about this place. But after my tour of Franklin Hall, I thought ‘This is it. This is for me.’ I didn’t feel out of place. I honestly felt at home, with none of the awkwardness of high school.”

First encounters also made a difference to the Chicago native.

“Last summer I met JMC professor GENE SHELTON. I introduced myself and he said, ‘I like your name. I’m going to remember it.’

That made me feel good,” Simmons recalls. “I told him I was going to be in his Introduction to Mass Communication course and he told me to sit up front, and I did.”

Coming to Kent State was an opportunity for reinvention for Cedric Simmons, an electronic media major. “High school was an awkward time for me. I struggled,” he recalls. “When I began considering Kent State, my mom told me this was an opportunity to reinvent myself, to really grow.”

Simmons began seizing the opportunity to redirect his life even before the academic year started. “I started in the STARS Program [a program for newly enrolled African-American, Latino-American and Native-American freshmen] last summer, and it really helped give me a taste of school in a controlled environment, with a mentor to help me.” Simmons was selected to become a STARS “elder” – a position of leadership among

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Simmons also adapted quickly and well to life inside CCI Commons, the residential learning community for communication majors. “My closest friends come from CCI Commons. It’s a blessing to be with those of the same major. They know where you’re coming from,” he says.

Simmons, who plans to become a resident advisor, looks for opportunities to help others. “I realize that lots of freshmen didn’t get to come to college early and attend STARS, so they might still be stuck in high school. I try to help them. I try to be a light to others. I feel like a leader, and I check myself regularly to be sure I know where I’m heading.”

The enterprising freshman plans to work in the entertainment industry, and he is pursuing courses and co-curricular activities accordingly. “I’m taking Record Promotion, Videography Basics and Media Writing. I’m also interested in joining Kent State Independent Films.”

Simmons can easily recite his bucket list of aspirations. “I want to write, film, direct or act in a movie that premieres at the Sundance Film Festival. I want to win a Grammy as a music producer. And I want to attend the Academy Awards.”

Simmons understands these are big-ticket aspirations, but reasons, “If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough.”

Until Sundance beckons, he is perfectly content at Kent State. “I sit on my bed every day and look out the window at the beautiful view, and I think, ‘There’s no place I’d rather be than Kent State.’ I feel accepted here. I can be who I am.”

photo/ Marissa Decker

THERE’S NO PLACE I’D RATHER BE. I FEEL ACCEPTED HERE. I CAN BE WHO I AM.”

Shelton’s advice helped Simmons recognize the importance of personal branding. “I make sure people remember my name. In class, I make sure my teachers hear my voice.”

photo/ Marissa Decker

CEDRIC SIMMONS

PROMISING STARTS

Professors and advisors at JMC really help you. They recognize that international students need help, and they really care about diversity.”

MOLLY YING Sixty-seven hundred miles. More than 10 thousand kilometers. That’s the approximate distance between Beijing, China, and Kent State – and it’s also how far away Mengting (Molly) Ying is from her home.

Ying, a freshman journalism major, learned about Kent State when searching online for U.S. colleges and universities.

photo/ Marissa Decker

photo/ Marissa Decker

“I decided to study in the U.S. because I want to learn about the world, not just Asia. I had heard of Kent State, because we studied the May 4 killings in high school. Viewing Kent State and JMC online, I had a feeling of belonging here.”

Ying, who learned English in elementary school, has found it easy to navigate her first two semesters. Now, she is taking a leadership role as a member of JMC’s new Student Voice Team.

“I get to offer advice and ideas. It’s like we are the owners of the School. We have a voice and duty to make the School even better.” She credits professor GENE SHELTON, her Introduction to Mass Communication professor, for opening the door to this opportunity. “He really encouraged me.”

Ying is also a member of Kent State’s Chinese Student Scholar Association and looks forward to joining Teleproductions or TV2.

Ying comes by her interest in journalism naturally. Her father, Jiang Ying, is a journalist with China’s Xihua News Agency – and, ironically, a reluctant supporter of her career choice. “My father didn’t agree with my choice for a career – he believes that journalism is a hard and dangerous profession for women – but he respects my decision.”

Her first year in a new country and culture has not been entirely easy for Ying. “I wasn’t homesick at first, but at Thanksgiving, when everyone went home to their families, I felt homesick.” Ying has made friends at Kent State, especially among the growing international community, and at CCI Commons where she lives.

JMC has met Ying’s expectations. “The program here is very good.

There’s a lot of choice. I won’t just concentrate on journalism. I want to learn photography, design and many other things.”

Ying plans to work behind the camera as a news director or documentary filmmaker in China. “I’m learning the profession at JMC – how to shoot video, how to write news. I’m also learning how to prepare my resume and cover letters.”

Ying is also interested in learning about different lifestyles, and she’s a keen observer of the contrasts between Beijing and Kent. She grew up on the 17th floor of a high-rise apartment in downtown Beijing – “a big, noisy city with a huge population.

People in Beijing are busy and stressed. And there are skyscrapers everywhere.”

Ying encourages other Chinese students to study at JMC. “Lots of Chinese students choose business or marketing because they are afraid of writing. But professors and advisors at JMC really help you. They recognize that international students need help, and at JMC, they really care about diversity.”

She arrived in Kent in August 2013 to discover a small, tree-lined city of profound “quiet.” She was quickly surrounded by “friendly, relaxed people.” She liked the look and feel of the campus.

“It’s modern. Franklin Hall looks historic, but inside it’s cool – especially Black Squirrel Radio.”

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JARGON | SPRING 2014 | ISSUE 2

RELEVANT & REAL

GREAT GIGS: JMC launches first virtual advertising internships

W

B y A ndrew K rieger

Danielle Kilgore

Both students are part of an innovative virtual internship program at CBD in advertising account planning—the first internship of its kind offered to JMC advertising majors. The students use an online workflow management system to organize their work and they stay in contact with the agency through phone calls, email and online meetings. This flexibility has allowed Miller to work from her home in Washington state, and Kilgore to work from Painesville, Ohio.

The students were made aware of the opportunity by professor WENDY WARDELL, coordinator of JMC’s advertising sequence. “I worked with Rob Reents [Vice President of Shopper Marketing at CBD] and we’ve kept in conversation about the kind of work I’m doing here at Kent State. The idea for virtual internships with CBD stemmed from those conversations.”

Wardell encouraged both students because their interests are well matched to the kinds of interns CBD is seeking. “Danielle has always shown an interest in consumer behavior and how certain factors affect the way people make purchasing decisions,” Wardell said. “Rachel discussed her

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After being interviewed and ultimately hired by CBD, the students, accompanied by Wardell, took a day trip to Chicago to meet and spend the day with the people of CBD and participate in orientation at the agency headquarters. There, Kilgore and Miller met face-to-face with the agency’s President and Co-CEO Liz Brohan and Gina Miller, Vice President and Director of Customer Experience and Demand Management, who would be their main contact at CBD. The students began the internship shortly thereafter.

“Our interns are working on two separate account planning projects. Both projects involve working to understand how consumer behavior and technologies are evolving and what opportunities these changes present for companies,” Gina Miller explained. “They will start with a phase of secondary research into trends, innovations and industry analysis. Then they’ll proceed on to primary research, polling both consumers and industry experts. By the end of the spring semester, the interns will complete a comprehensive white paper on their findings that will help marketers better understand the issues and implications to their businesses.”

For Kilgore and Miller, these experiences are invaluable.

Kilgore is an avid artist who originally aspired to work in the creative side of advertising. “I am a pretty good artist on the side, but now I would like art to remain a hobby rather than a career,” she said. She now hopes to become an account manager at an agency.

Kilgore says that working virtually requires organizational skill and initiative. “I have learned quite a bit about time management because of the flexibility of my work schedule,” she said. “The hardest part is taking advantage of face time

photo/Danielle Kilgore

After expressing interest in the internship, Kilgore and Miller went through a screening process before being recommended as candidates to CBD.

work as the planner on her campaign teams with me, and I was really impressed with the strategic approach she and her team provide to their client.”

photo/Rachel Miller

hile interning with CBD Marketing, an integrated marketing communication firm in Chicago, senior advertising majors DANIELLE KILGORE and RACHEL MILLER are gaining valuable professional experience. They research market trends and work closely with agency project managers—important experiences for most advertising students. One particular aspect of their internship is unique, however: Kilgore and Miller have the ability to clock into work from virtually anywhere.

I HAVE LEARNED QUITE A BIT ABOUT TIME MANAGEMENT BECAUSE OF THE FLEXIBILITY OF MY WORK SCHEDULE.”

— DANIELLE KILGORE

with the agency. Checking in with them often is important, because I have to make up for the lack of meeting time.”

we’ve developed something that results in great experience for our students and relevant, real work for CBD, their clients and our industry.”

Miller had finished her coursework at Kent State and only needed an internship credit to graduate.

She now resides in Central Washington, where she helps her mother teach first graders how to read at an elementary school during her free time. Her goal is to become an advertising strategist in an agency.

CBD feels as strongly about the value the interns have provided to the agency. “We look forward to continuing our alliance with Kent State to tackle the big, complicated issues and opportunities for business innovation together,” Gina Miller said.

Working in a virtual setting can be a huge benefit to someone who needs flexibility, according to Miller. “CBD's virtual internship enables me to live at home for my final semester while I complete the internship I need for graduation. I preferred to live at home for financial reasons, but it's also a plus that I am close to the support groups I grew up with when I need to recharge and look at the research from another angle,” she said. “The flexibility in my work schedule allows to me take advantage of my time management skills and balance my workload between the internship and helping at my mom’s school.”

photo/Danielle Kilgore

photo/Rachel Miller

Miller’s favorite part of the virtual internship? “I can work in my pajamas, and my cat comes with me to my office.”

Throughout this internship, Kilgore and Miller have both built upon what they learned about market research, account planning and strategy at JMC and expanded their skills for future career opportunities—without being confined by geography and without the expense of a temporary move to Chicago.

Wardell is pleased with the progress so far. “I’m excited about the partnership with CBD Marketing.

Not only the virtual internships, which seem to be going better than I could have hoped, but also how

Rachel Miller

“The virtual internship enables me to live at home for my final semester while I complete the internship I need for graduation. I can work in my pajamas, and my cat comes with me to my office.”

— Rachel Miller

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JARGON | SPRING 2014 | ISSUE 2

STUDY ABROAD

TWO CONTINENTS, TWO SEMESTERS Fueled by intellectual and cultural curiosity, JMC students took advantage of new, faculty-led study abroad programs to the Czech Republic and Costa Rica.

Kent in Prague B y G r ace M urr ay

JMC graduate student KATY CODUTO said she’s grateful for the experience.

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To view the work completed during their two-week residency in Prague, visit www. kentinprague.com.

photo/ Anna Hoffman

JMC professor CANDACE PERKINS BOWEN and Communication Studies professor CATHERINE GOODALL led the new Modern Media and Democracy course, which took students to Prague’s Anglo-American University (AAU). The course and exchange program with AAU (page 19) was made possible through the support of a new partnership with the Prague Freedom Pounding the cobblestone: Students and faculty joined AAU peers in the Czech Republic.

Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to protecting and promoting freedom of speech in the United States, the Czech Republic “I loved the freedom that we had in Modern Media and and other parts of the world. The 20 students who Democracy,” Coduto said. “I enjoyed developing my own research participated in this course from Kent State and AAU became the area and working to conduct in-depth interviews that opened my first Prague Freedom Foundation scholars. eyes to new perspectives.”

While abroad, the students worked on individual projects ranging CCI alumna ERICA TORRE said the course was a great bookend from broadcast packages to research papers on topics such as to her college career. Torre, who graduated in December with entertainment reporting, declining trust in Czech media and the her bachelor’s in communication studies, used what she learned feminist movement in the Czech Republic. in Modern Media and Democracy to propel her through her last Perkins Bowen said the course was a showcase for students’ semester. expertise and creativity.

“This course gave me a chance to learn how to write more than a “The class allowed students to synthesize what they’d already research paper,” Torre said. “The storytelling aspect is something learned in other places,” Bowen said, “and when you have such that really stuck out, and I took it with me. I learned how to use a project-based course, you have to really apply everything you stories as a valuable resource – one that brings more life to my know about reporting, multimedia and research. The process papers than articles or books.” threw a lot of road blocks at you, but that’s what made the projects so fun to do along the way.”

photo/ Courtney Citro

Jumping at the opportunity to study at the Czech Republic’s oldest private educational institution, 10 students and two professors from the College of Communication and Information boarded a plane in early August for a trip that would put their hardearned skills to use.

STUDY ABROAD REAL

Capturing Costa Rica B y C ourtney C itro

to study the spectacular ecology of a country that contains an estimated 5 percent of the world’s biodiversity.

The wild and the wonderful: Student filmmakers spent part of winter break in Costa Rica.

Ten electronic media production (EMP) students spent 22 days in December and early January in Costa Rica, as part of a new study abroad assignment led by JMC professor DAVID SMELTZER. The students spent fall semester preparing for their trip to Costa Rica, where they created 10- to 15-minute documentaries on topics of their choosing. There, they joined Kent State biology professor and Costa Rican native DR. OSCAR ROCHA and Kent State biology students who travel to Costa Rica every other year

Together, the students and faculty traveled to the dry forest of Palo Verde; the rain forest of San Ramon, where they celebrated the New Year; a research center in La Selva and the secluded beaches of Campanario.

Along the way, the students swam under a waterfall, took long hikes and hot bus rides, navigated local markets, discovered amazing Costa Rican ice cream, experienced scuba diving in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and saw an array of exotic animals that included crocodiles, howler monkeys, sloths, bats and iguanas.

The students learned to acclimate to new routines (beans and rice every day) and new challenges (checking their beds for scorpions, dodging venomous snakes, and dealing with drenching humidity). The trip was a great opportunity to learn about documentary filmmaking, biology, conservation and preservation, while experiencing another culture and coming to appreciate life in Ohio.

PRAGUE IN KENT

photo/ Anna Hoffman

photo/ Courtney Citro

B y Trevor I van , ’07

and

’13

As part of the highly successful partnership between Kent State, Anglo-American University (AAU) in the Czech Republic and the Prague Freedom Foundation, 10 students from AAU studied at Kent State for two weeks in late January. The AAU students, who represented nine countries, turned their home base in Franklin Hall into a working newsroom as they created story packages about American culture and life, learned about American media systems and explored the local area.

JMC faculty and students assisted the group both by providing instruction about multimedia storytelling techniques and by coaching their story packages. Communication Studies faculty member

CATHERINE GOODALL and JMC faculty members CANDACE PERKINS BOWEN and JOHN BOWEN organized the exchange.

“It’s a chance for both groups to live and work in another country, to learn more cultural awareness and to appreciate the need for a global perspective,” Perkins Bowen said. “Journalists in particular can’t have limited views of the world. True, Prague isn’t typical of all of the Czech Republic, nor is Kent like the whole USA, but it was a good start.”

The students’ blog entries and story packages are featured on www.aauinkent.com.

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JARGON | SPRING 2014 | ISSUE 2

STUDY ABROAD

International Storytelling Course Earns Higher Education Award

T

N icole G ennarelli

he International Storytelling course, taught by JMC professors GARY HANSON and MITCH MCKENNEY, was the Global Partnership division winner in the 2014 Best Practices in International Higher Education Awards of the NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education) International Education Knowledge Community.

This was the first time the cross-listed course of CCI and JMC has been entered into international education award competitions.

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Because the course is overseas for only two weeks compared to several months, it is much more affordable for students who have always wanted to study abroad.

The International Storytelling trip to Estonia in spring 2014 will be featured in the next issue of JARGON.

photo/ Gary Hanson

“I was surprised, honored and proud of the students who have participated in the four years of International Storytelling,” Hanson said. “This is an important award for the class, particularly when you look at the other universities that were involved in the competition. I’m grateful for the support from the College of Communication and Information and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication for their continued support and encouragement of the project, as well as the strong support from the Office of Global Education.

This award is as much for those groups as it is for us.”

According to the International Storytelling application, “The International Storytelling course at Kent State University combines engaged experiential learning with international work and recreation, allowing our students to develop journalism skills while broadening their understanding of the world.

Students enroll in a 15-week course, during which they learn about another country, plan and research stories they will cover in multimedia reporting teams, spend two weeks in their destination country reporting stories in partnership with students from that country, and return to produce their stories for a multimedia website available to the general public.”

photo Phylicia McCorkle/Michael Anderson/Cincinnati Red; photo Lauren Miller/ Rachelle Evans Photography

by

ALUMNI PROFILES REAL

DREAM JOBS:

2013 Alumni Launch Careers With Impact B y M eghan C aprez PHYLICIA MCCORKLE, ’13, entered the major league of higher education when she decided to pursue a master’s degree in public relations at Kent State.

After two years of extensive study and preparation, she’s entering the real major league -- Major League Baseball, that is -- as a community relations staff member for the Cincinnati Reds.

McCorkle believes the faculty’s dedication to the success of their students is unparalleled and helped her complete her degree at Kent State.

“There are really great professors at JMC,” McCorkle said. “This was a big dream for me, and they really, genuinely believed in me. I had a great support system.”

As part of the community relations team, McCorkle’s responsibilities include managing ticket donation programs, coordinating special visits and growing the Reds brand.

photo/ Gary Hanson

photo Phylicia McCorkle/Michael Anderson/Cincinnati Red; photo Lauren Miller/ Rachelle Evans Photography

“I’m really excited to be getting my hands dirty and making a difference with the Reds,” McCorkle said. “I get to apply what I learned at Kent and see my thesis research come to life.”

I GET TO APPLY WHAT I LEARNED AND SEE MY THESIS RESEARCH COME TO LIFE.”

Baseball played a large role in McCorkle’s Kent State experience.

She spent eight months with the Akron Aeros (now Akron RubberDucks), studying the team’s community relations initiatives for her thesis.

McCorkle placed special emphasis on the relationship between sports and education.

“When I worked with the Aeros, I was able to see how community relations helps kids realize their dreams,” McCorkle said. “That’s exactly what I want to do with the rest of my life, and I get to keep doing that in baseball at the Reds.”

The transition from studying the Aeros to working for the Reds was easy, McCorkle said, and she credits the skills and life lessons she learned at JMC with that ease. From learning the dynamics of building relationships in the Media Relations and Publicity course to honing her personal brand and professional skills in the Global Ad & PR course, McCorkle felt prepared to take on her community relations role with the Reds.

“Studying abroad for Global Ad & PR helped me see the global aspect of public relations, which is really helpful working with a large organization like the Reds,” McCorkle said.

LAUREN MILLER, ’12 AND ’13, always knew she wanted to work for a cable television station, but she didn’t anticipate that her career would lead her to one of the world’s premiere shopping networks.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and completing her media management master’s courses, Miller landed a position at the Home Shopping Network (HSN) as a digital merchandise assistant, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Miller is responsible for managing digital media for HSN’s electronics department. “I absolutely love my job,” Miller said. “HSN is trying to strengthen its online presence, and that’s really what I’m here for. It is such an interesting network; there’s always someone talking about it.”

Continued on page 22

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JARGON | SPRING 2014 | ISSUE 2

ALUMNI PROFILES

“I originally wanted to be a producer, but I became interested in consumer behavior when I took the Global Ad & PR class,” Miller said. “When we went to London, I studied social media in a way I never had before.”

Both Miller’s Global Ad & PR project and master’s project focused on social media, but the latter dealt with the relationship between social media and TV station viewership.

“Digital media is becoming a huge player in the industry,” Miller said. “Social media is elevating that content. In college, I realized that you have to keep learning about social media and things outside of production so you can make that content even more successful.”

Miller also credits her internship experiences and her involvement in TV2 with preparing her to work for a large cable television network.

“I learned practical skills of how to be a manager and how to make things work in a high-stress environment,” Miller said of her time as a producer at TV2. “I learned how to coordinate pieces coming from all different departments, especially when I produced the 2012 election show.”

Miller said that current students should structure their coursework to reflect their ideal careers. "To get that dream job, supplement your normal classes with some electives in the area of the industry you’re most interested in,” Miller said. “And when you’re looking for jobs in that industry, fight for your dream.”

“We do radio that helps people.”

“That’s the cool thing about what I’m doing,” Sokol said. “It’s not angry or divisive. I love that I get to

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“The Jasen Sokol Show” first aired Feb. 24, 2014, and Sokol said he could not believe he was hosting his own show so soon after graduation.

“It’s been great and kind of crazy,” Sokol said.

“WAKR originally hired me to do traffic, so I didn’t think for a second that I’d be doing what I’m doing one year out of Kent State.”

Sokol completed his master’s degree in broadcast journalism as a Walton D. Clarke Graduate Fellow. This endowed scholarship is awarded to an outstanding student in the electronic media sequence.

At Kent State, Sokol worked for WKSU and TV2.

“My work at TV2 really helped me improve on air,” Sokol said. “I can’t say enough good things about TV2. It’s the best pre-professional training I had, and it truly is the best part of JMC for broadcast journalism majors.”

Sokol was responsible for creating, anchoring and producing “Portage Pulse,” TV2’s public affairs news program. Interviewing public officials for the show prepared him for his current position at WAKR, he said.

“I learned how to interact with public officials, which was really invaluable,” Sokol said.

Sokol said his education inside the classroom was unparalleled. Some of his classes - like Broadcast Beat Reporting with professor GARY HANSON - were able to “whip [him] into shape” and help him to become the broadcaster he is today.

“Kent State is a name brand in education for journalists,” Sokol said. “They train people the right way; students are trained to work in the real world and hit the ground running.”

TV2 HELPED ME IMPROVE ON AIR. IT’S THE BEST PRE-PROFESSIONAL TRAINING I HAD.”

photo/ Bobbi Horvath

That’s how JMC alumnus JASEN SOKOL, ’13, describes his new radio spot on WAKR. His selftitled talk radio show, airing weekdays from 10 a.m.2 p.m., is dedicated to reporting unbiased news for Northeast Ohioans.

talk to people every day. It’s more of an information show about what’s new and interesting.”

Coombs' photo/ Marissa Decker; Murray's photo/Mike Murray

As an undergraduate, Miller said she received the practical skills she needed as a broadcast journalist, but she developed her passion for digital management as a graduate student.

FACULTY & ALUMNI NEWS

Faculty News

photo/ Bobbi Horvath

Coombs' photo/ Marissa Decker; Murray's photo/Mike Murray

DANIELLE SARVER COOMBS has enjoyed a prolific year. She wrote “Last Man Standing: Media, Framing, and the 2012 Republican Primaries,” which is part of the Communication, Media and Politics series edited by Robert E. Denton (Rowman & Littlefield, November 2013); she co-authored with Anne Osborne the peer-reviewed article, “Performative Sport Fandom: An Approach to Retheorizing Sport Fans,” (Sport in Society: Cultures, Commerce, Media, Politics, 16:5); she coedited with Bob Batchelor the threevolume series, “We Are What We Sell: How Advertising Shapes American Life… And Always Has,” for which she wrote the chapter “Nike: Goddess of Victory, Gods of Sport” (Praeger, January 2014); and wrote the chapter “Pitch Perfect: How the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Brought the Game Home” in “Soccer Culture in America: Essays on the World’s Sport in Red, White, and Blue,” edited by Yuya Kiuchi (McFarland).

MICHELE EWING was named the 2014 Davis Young Award winner from the Greater Cleveland Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

The award recognizes a member of the chapter who excels in mentoring students and young professionals through hands-on instruction and support.

JEFF FRUIT was named interim director of CCI’s School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) by CCI Dean Stan Wearden in January. Fruit remains on the faculty at JMC. GORDON (JOE) MURRAY, a pilot who enjoys flying vintage planes into Ohio airfields, has published “Lost in Oscar Hotel: There is Something in the Air” (Ingram, 2014), chronicling the journey

he and friend Ron Siwik took behind the controls of two 1946 Pipe J3C-65 Cub airplanes (JARGON, Fall 2012).

The pilots landed in all of Ohio’s 88 counties before landing at Wright Brothers Airport in Dayton, a journey of about 1,809 nautical miles. The book features 65 color photographs taken by JMC photojournalists PHIL BOTTA, CHRISTABEL DEVADOSS, LAURA FONG, ’13, GARY HARWOOD and SAM VERBULECZ. The flight helped Murray raise about $3,000 to help disadvantaged students attend JMC. SUSAN KIRKMAN ZAKE received an Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication grant from its “Building a Bridge between the Knight News Challenge and JMC Programs.” The grant will be used to advance Zake’s efforts in the Web Programming for Multimedia Journalism course, where the class is focusing on researching and documenting the Cuyahoga River.

Alumni BEN BRUGLER,’00, was promoted to president of AKHIA, where he formerly served as the company’s executive vice president. He joined the firm in 2000 as an account coordinator.

Brugler is married to TERESA [RATNER] BRUGLER, ’00.

DIANE LANEY FITZPATRICK, ’81, a freelancer living in San Francisco, has published “Home Sweet Homes: How Bundt Cakes, Bubble Wrap, and

My Accent Helped Me Survive Nine Moves” (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013). The book is a humorous survivor’s guide to moving.

Fitzpatrick will speak at the Akron Roundtable on July 17, and she will donate a portion of the proceeds from books sold between July 17-20 to the Akron Symphony’s Concerts for Kids.

SAM ROE, ’83, the 2013 William D. Taylor Award winner, a Pulitzer Prize winner and three-time Pulitzer finalist, has again been recognized for outstanding reporting. Roe was part of a team of investigative reporters from the Chicago Tribune that received the $25,000 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting for their series “Playing with Fire.” The Goldsmith Prize is given by the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.

BRANDON TIDD, ’05, has joined ReachLocal, a digital marketing firm in Cleveland, leaving AOL’s Patch.com news network. “As I reflect on this opportunity for professional growth, I am reminded that it has only been made possible through the generosity of scholarship funding and programs like yours,” he writes. “On behalf of myself, as well as future scholarship recipients, I would like to thank you for your continued commitment to funding the future.” Tidd was the 2005 recipient of the John L. Scott Scholarship.

Stay connected with JMC. If you have news to share or need to update your contact information, drop us a note at jmc@kent.edu.

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photo/ Marissa Decker