2009 Mass Media Messenger

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Curriculumreflectsnewmedia

by Barb DeSanto

Every year brings challenges. And I think many would agree that this year has brought some unusual, unexpected, farreaching challenges.

The world’s financial meltdown and the historic American presidential election changed not only people’s thinking but people’s actions.

Do global events affect the Mass Media department? Absolutely. In the department we are looking at new and different ways to provide quality education efficiently, revamp our curriculum to reflect the tremendous changes happening in media practice and address the new public demands for transparency. Let me explain how this affects what we do day-to-day.

The Washburn University Endowment Association’s investment strategy proved to be not only solid but bordering on brilliant.

File photo Although the University endowment lost Department leader: Barb Desanto has been the chair of the department since 2007. more than 20 percent of its value last year, She and the faculty have worked countless hours in creating a new curriculum. its long-term conservative payout plan school with students from other European protected the department’s scholarship functioning as one-person media stations countries, and other students spent an dollars so we are able to offer the same posting to the giant global Web station. entire semester studying abroad.

Amid the shards of what was once a global number of scholarships for the 2009-10 That made Kansas connections around financial system, people are demanding academic year as we have in years past. the world. Students need to have a global transparency and are more ready than That means we mind; Kansas is just where it happens to ever to become can continue to assist be located. We must educate students to activeparticipants deserving, promising think that way.

The media needs to in rebuilding the students in paying We’re aware of our big challenges in Mass return to its roles system. for their education.

Media. And we’re ready to meet them. I As we adapt That also means as watchdog and invite you to stop by and experience these to this media that you as donors information provider changes in our classes. environment, new to our departmental Talk with our students and professors. on behalf of its classes will come scholarship funds Yes, there are challenges, but you’ll also citizens. to the Mass Media can be assured your find excitement.

Barb DeSanto department. contributions are wellMedia bootcamp, looked-after.

Now, more than ever, your scholarship donations media storytelling, digital film editing and strategic communications will soon find matter.

We’ve also spent the last year developing their way into the course catalog. It’s part of a revamped curriculum that reflects the an effort to teach not only the technology, but also the ethics and social responsibility technological tsunami engulfing us all.

Media practitioners today so vital to the media’s success.

The media needs to return to its roles carrysmalldevicesthattweet, take and send pictures, and as watchdog and information provider on play movies; it’s like having behalf of its citizens.

Finally, being in Kansas is actually a satellite truck in your pocket. Content from those being in the world. Everything is linked; Mass Media Office small devices is uploaded everything is global.

This spring nine students studied at in seconds to the Web in video 785.670.1836 and print formats, with students Zeppelin University’s weeklong spring

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Mass Media Banquet 2010

Thursday, April 8

from the chair’s desk

a

04 06 07 08 11 12 14 16 18 20 contents

contributors Banquet: Vegas style

Students in the Mass Media Publication Layout and Design class produced the 2009 Messenger under the direction of faculty member Regina Cassell.

Managing Editor

Spring break in Germany Social networking turns professional News in brief Classroom game Celebrating faculty

Britta Tjaden public relations

Messenger Staff

James Ahrens media writing and publishing Amanda Bayless advertising Rikki Bruntmeyer media writing and publishing Leia Karimul Bashar media writing and publishing Joshua King public relations Paige Lockard advertising Christopher Marshall media writing and publishing Ashley Shepard advertising Eric Smith media writing and publishing Nicole Stejskal media writing and publishing Angela Willard public relations

Contributing Photographers

Teaming up with the Y Movie set becomes classroom

Charles Cranston Aaron Deffenbaugh Michael Goehring electronic media Shalyn Marsh media writing and publishing Kaw Yearbook Washburn Review

Contributing Writers

Online site receives gold Alumni news

Brian Allen Annie Britt Jennifer Loucks public relations Linda Meyer media writing and publishing Dana Sanchez media writing and publishing

Banquet rolls dice in Vegas

by Josh King The 2009 Mass Media Banquet was shaping up to be a disaster - a tiny, poorlyattended, embarrassing disaster.

The mood in Kathy Menzie’s Public Relations Campaigns class wasn’t much better. Ticket sales were down, way down, like off the charts, everyone-should-beashamed-of-themselves down.

Yet before the finger pointing begins, the dismal sales wasn’t due to a lack of trying.

Invitations in confetti-filled envelopes had been handed out weeks before and fliers begged passers-by to stop and pay attention with their impressive design and unique shapes. When that didn’t work, the publicity went 3-D, with colorful dice littering the tables of Mass Media classrooms. Finally, the students turned to bribery, offering Vegas-themed prizes to those willing to drop $10 on the table and spin the prize wheel.

It worked. 67 tickets had changed hands in the 17 days since sales started, and with only one day left to sell, things were looking rough.

“We were a long way from the ‘Dr. M won’t be ashamed of us’ goal of 80 tickets,” said Leslie Welker, a senior Mass Media student. “That 112 number we picked to beat last year’s class seemed out of the question.”

Then came the power of social media.

Students sent mass e-mails, Facebook messages and Facebook statuses asking members of their social networks if they had their tickets yet. By 8 p.m. that night, with only one day left, the campaign to sell tickets was bustling.

“I got three messages that night telling me to go buy a ticket; it was fantastic,” said Menzie. “And it worked, if you ask Chartwells, we had 107 people, but we snuck in a few more, so we’re claiming 111.”

With the ticket sales taken care of, the attention turned to the actual event. The room inside Memorial Union was transformed into a mini Las Vegas. With dice on the stage, cards on the tables, a slot machine at the end of

Photo by Michael Goehring

Outstanding students: Jaycie Wiechman, Danielle White, Shalyn Marsh and Ryan Sinovic were selected as the Mass Media department’s highest achievers in their individual emphases.

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the buffet and ritzy tunes filling the air, the scene was set. It was time to celebrate.

“I am always pleased to have a chance to celebrate our students and their accomplishments,” said Barb DeSanto, chair of the Mass Media department. “Perhaps I am biased, but I think we have the best and brightest students on campus.”

The best and brightest showed up in spades. Graduates, student publications, special classes, impressive projects and outstanding students were all part of the party.

Joined by a movie trailer, scholarship winners and advice on surviving the “real world” from guest-speaker Michel Cole, a 1985 graduate of Washburn, the banquet was a success.

“We can claim the record for ticket sales during a recession,” said Josh Mabry

I am always pleased to have a chance to celebrate our students and their accomplishments.

Barb DeSanto

after the banquet. “It’s not 112, but it’s a record.”

To borrow a phrase from the banquet itself, Mass Media is always a winning bet, especially when it comes to controlling the message.

banquet

Department awards Scholarships Zula Bennington Greene Jessyka Coulter - Linwood, Kan. Brandi Gannon - Rossville, Kan. Anna Henry - Lenexa, Kan. Derek Huff - Lawrence, Kan. Lauren Journot - Parsons, Kan. Lauren Mersman - Greeley, Kan. Morgan Schaeffer - Topeka, Kan. David C. Beeder Jordan Shefte - Omaha, Neb. Oscar S. Stauffer Britta Tjaden - Smolan, Kan. Thad M. Sandstrom Memorial Mikale Burcher - Kinsley, Kan. Joshua King - Overbrook, Kan. Topeka Branch of the National League of American Pen Women Kristen Grimmer - Riverton, Kan.

Association for Women in Communication Susanna Crandall - Topeka, Kan.

The real world calls: Michel Cole, a 1985 Washburn graduate, gave students advice on what to expect from the job market after graduation.

Photo by Michael Goehring

Robert A. Hentzen Memorial Athletic Scholarship Jordan Shefte - Omaha, Neb. Mass Media Department Eric Smith - Topeka, Kan.

Outstanding Students Advertising Danielle White - Berryton, Kan. Electronic Media Jaycie Wiechman - Scott City, Kan. Public Relations Ryan Sinovic - Overland Park, Kan. Media Writing and Publishing Shalyn Marsh - Holcomb, Kan.

Photo by Michael Goehring

Scholarship winners: Joshua King, Jordan Shefte, Britta Tjaden, Mikale Burcher and Susanna Crandall were among those chosen to receive scholarships based on excellence in the field of Mass Media.

banquet

Second annual trip to Germany

by Josh King

It was more than the average spring break trip because it involved intensive learning and working.

Instead of a trip to a party-filled beach, nine mass media students spent their weeklong break from school, in school. And the strange thing is, they knew about this when they signed up, no tricks involved.

But before anyone feels too sorry for them, that intensive learning and working experience took place in beautiful Friedrichshafen, Germany. The students were part of Zeppelin University’s International spring school, a one-week school that brings students from more than 50 universities together to not only learn from but with each other.

This year students from more than 40 countries invaded the small German town home to one of Germany’s only private universities. There they had the choice of eight courses ranging from business ethics to the science, policy and politics of climate change.

While one Washburn student chose to take a lyrical poetry course, the remaining eight students took a course taught by Barb DeSanto, chair of the Mass Media department. DeSanto lectured on public relations strategy and social media, a topic the students put to use as they planned and presented social media strategies to the director of marketing at Zeppelin University.

“For a school that’s only five years old, Zeppelin was kind of behind on their marketing strategy,” said Linda Meyer, a senior Mass Media student. “When we started, they were actually against using social media because they wanted to control the message and they didn’t think that was possible.”

Knowing their challenge, the students formed groups and set out to change the university’s mind. They studied Barack Obama’s use of social media in his successful bid to become president and watched people on the streets of Friedrichshafen to see how the locals used social media.

They also studied how other

Photo by Shalyn Marsh

More than 30 students pack into the modern-styled classroom at Zeppelin University.

The class, which covered the use of social media in public relations strategies had more students than any other class. universities were using social media to reach prospective students.

“For social media to be successful you have to really know your public,” said Lana Kraus in an interview on the popular social networking site Facebook. “It is important to know where your public is online and what type of information they are looking for, as well as what type of message you want to send.”

That’s where being at Zeppelin University paid huge dividends. The students were able to do quick primary research amongst the students at Zeppelin to see how they were using social media and how they could best be reached. What they discovered was that the students were way ahead of their university when it came to social media.

Students at Zepplin were using it and they loved it.

Of course, it was not all work for those on spring break. Being in Germany ­— a land of hearty food, good beer and beautiful sites­­— gave the students plenty to enjoy while they were there.

“It was awesome,” said Meyer as she reminisced about her trip. “Everything was just amazing. Everyone walked everywhere, they have amazing bike lanes, everything is green friendly, it was just so cool.”

Afternoon trips were arranged to nearby sites where students experienced the beauty and wonder of the area. From Meersburg, where they toured the first castle to take canon fire, to Konstanz for a day of shopping in traditional shops, the opportunity to experience other cultures was a top priority.

For some, like Kraus, a public relations student rounding out her last semester at Washburn, the experience was highlighted by the knowledge she gained in class.

Returning to the states she was asked to give several presentations on social media, a task she was able to complete easily after the intense week of study in Germany.

For others, like Meyer, the biggest joy was experiencing international travel and the crash course in culture that comes with it.

“They have really cool boots there,” Meyer said. “They dress really well, and

internationaltravel

Social media makes its mark

by Josh King

Technology has a bit of a shrinking problem.

It’s true, things which once seemed huge now seem eerily small. Laptops shrank from behemoths weighing as much as toddlers to the inch-thin, almost trinket-sized things in stores today. Even the planet we live in seems smaller thanks to the Internet. And now lives all across the world are being miniaturized; snipped, crammed and abbreviated into chunks of pure existence, all thanks to social media.

Today social media takes on many forms.

From MySpace to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, social media is changing the way people communicate, and it’s happening quickly.

“Social media has completely changed the communication model,” said Karl

socialmedia

Fundenberger, a partner at Mixed Media, LLP, a social media firm based in Topeka, Kan. “We’re no longer dealing with a sender and receiver with the message and crosstalk in the middle, it’s not a push and pull model, but a push, pull, squeeze and tweak model.”

In 2008 alone, Twitter.com, the newest social media darling to hit the scene, grew by as much as 700 percent according to statistics compiled by comScore. That translates to more than nine million unique visits to the site each month, and more than 14 million users broadcasting their lives in “tweets” to followers across the globe.

While it may be impossible to pinpoint exactly why Twitter has seen such astounding growth, Fundenberger would guess it has something to do with how

{ } Social media has completely changed the communication model.

Karl Fundenberger

versatile the service is.

“Twitter is a very, very valuable tool for, well anyone,” said Fundenberger. “You can tap into it for help, you can tap into it for information, it’s a news network, it’s a trend network. It’s extremely versatile.”

Yet Twitter is not the only one hitting growth spurts. In a list of the top 10 Web sites on the Internet, according to Alexa Internet, Inc., half are social media in nature.

Social video site YouTube snagged the No. 3 spot, falling behind search giants Google and Yahoo, first and second respectively.

Internet statistics from comScore show that 14.8 billion online videos were streamed to Internet users in the United States alone.

That number represents a jump of 15 percent over the 12.5 billion served up the month before. Add that to the 175 percent growth Facebook has seen in the last year and the user explosion on Twitter and the 25 percent jump in the global use of social media begins to make sense. Social media is taking the world by storm.

Yet, Fundenberger says social media and the changes it is bringing are not things to be afraid of or shy away from.

After all, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the multitude of other options are merely digital versions of the same tools people have been using for years.

“In the past when you were planning an event you picked up the phone and called people,” said Fundenberger. “Today you post that same message on Facebook or your Twitter feed. It does the same thing, it’s just a different way of doing it.”

Washburn news in brief Mabee renovations completed

By James Ahrens

Updates to Mabee Library were completed last semester after a year-long renovation process intended to make the building more user-friendly.

Compact shelving was installed in the library basement to organize books and provide easier access to Mabee’s collection of reference materials.

The aisles of books, CDs and papers use electrically powered sliding shelves that slide open and close with the push of a button. Each unit slides on perpendicular tracks, which compact the shelves into a smaller area and triples the capacity for material.

David Feinmark, coordinator for collection management, says that the shelving will be invaluable to the acquisition of new materials.

Photo courtesy of Washburn Review

Student protest food service: Phil Norris, senior, rallies students in the Union over disapproval of a new 10-year contract signed between the university and Chartwells.

Author shares stories at WU

Enrollment drops in spring semester enrollment. That meant we had some very

Greg Mortenson, an author who has been working in Asia to build schools for children since 1993, spoke at Washburn in November about his book “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace… One School at a Time.”

The book, written by Mortenson and journalist David Oliver Relin, won several awards and the book was also a New York Times Best Seller.

“The book was chosen as the 2008 iRead because Greg was so down-to-earth,” said Kay Farley, Washburn Bookstore director.

“The transformational experience is what makes the book amazing. It proves that one person really can make a difference.”

Before his speech, Mortensen visited the Day of Transformation event at Washburn to learn about what students had done for their Transformational Experiences.

He was impressed that students were taking advantage of such an opportunity.

While other area schools have increased in enrollment from spring 2008 to spring 2009, Washburn’s enrollment has dropped 4.7 percent, according to Tom Ellis, vice president of enrollment.

But Ellis believes the disparity may not be what it seems.

“The state universities include off campus, online students in their numbers. There are not 8,000 students at Hays, America.

There’s about 4,000 students, and about 5,000 students in China,” said Ellis.

He acknowledges those 5,000 online students are a resource, but the inclusion of online students makes comparing state universities to Washburn like comparing apples to oranges.

“We have relatively few [students] at a distance. We have 130,” he said.

To account for Washburn’s significant percent drop in spring 2008 to spring 2009 enrollment, Ellis offers this explanation.

“Full-time student numbers did not change. It is part-time students that seem to be taking a break, saving their money, taking less credit hours due to the economy,” said Ellis.

“The senior class was the biggest one we graduated last spring. We had gone up 25 percent in the last five years in

By Annie Britt

By Brian Allen

big graduating classes, and we have a big graduating class coming up this spring.

Freshman enrollment went up this year, but not enough to replace the people who are graduating. We need to double our recruiting efforts.”

iAlert ensures safety through texting

By Jennifer Loucks

The iAlert system, run by Washburn’s Information Systems and Services and the university police department, is up and running, but some tweaks are still being made to the system. iAlert is an electronic messaging system that sends out police-generated notices to student’s home phones, cell phones and e-mails regarding any problems on or near campus.

As of March, roughly 750 students signed up for the system.

Thedepartmentpurchasedsevensatellite phones to ensure they will be able to get the notices to students in any scenario.

“We know that in an emergency, everyone will be on their cell phones, so with these satellite phones, we know we’ll be able to communicate,” said Dean Forester, director of the department. “We have trained people working with them.”

campus news

Student Briefs

By Eric Smith

Aperion Achievements

Advertising emphasis Angie Marquart presented her research titled, “The Mediated Muslim as a Terrorist” in the Apeiron poster session during the spring semester.

Marquart, who had Maria Raicheva-Stover as a mentor, did a content analysis of different pre- and post- September 11 media sources to see how the media portrayed Muslims as terrorists.

Britta Tjaden, public relations emphasis, won the annual poster contest to advertise the Apeiron event.

Academic All-District honor

Danielle White, a recent graduate of the department and former first basemen of the Washburn softball team, was named first team CoSIDA/ ESPN The Magazine Academic AllDistrict as voted on by the region’s sports information directors for the 2008-09 season.

The advertising major is the first Lady Blue to receive first team honors since the 1999 season. During this past season, White was a first team all-MIAA pick and wrapped up her career with a school record 1,533 putouts. She played in 217 career games stats that include 217 hits, 159 RBI and 43 home runs.

Transfer student wins award

Lily Pankratz, public relations emphasis from Newton, Kan., was given the Award for Emerging Leader for Transfer Students during the annual Student Organization Awards and Recognition banquet on April 21.

Each year during the SOAR awards, put on by Student Activities and Greek Life, the award is presented to a transfer student who has demonstrated knowledge, enthusiasm and motivation for campusandcommunityinvolvement and leadership.

department news

Photo courtesy of Washburn Review

Obama Watch 2008: Students gathered in Mabee library to watch the presidental debates.

Departmentparticipates in library debates

By Josh King What started out as a simple idea to capitalize on the popularity of 2008’s presidential election, the Debate Watch parties at Mabee Library quickly turned into more.

“We were trying to bring together students, faculty and community,” said Rachel Goossen, professor of history at Washburn and speaker at the Oct. 7 Debate Watch. “With the overwhelming interest in the debates we thought it was a perfect opportunity.”

That thought was proven true as none of the events brought less than 150 people in the library doors. Whether drawn by the offer of free pizza and pop or the allure of discussing the debates in a large group, the events drew both students and community members alike.

“We had 60, 65, 70 year old people from the community wondering if young people care,” said Alan Bearman, interim dean of libraries at Washburn University and organizer of the events. “It was terribly refreshing for them to find out that yes, these students do care, they’re engaged and they are paying attention.”

That engagement manifested itself in different ways. Each of the four events started with a scholarly presentation from a faculty member. With presenters from mass media, history, communications

and political science departments, the topics ranged from the ritual and rhetoric of presidential debates to the historical context in which they take place.

Bob Beatty, associate professor of political science spoke on great moments from presidential debates at the final Debate Watch. As he shared his favorite moments including the famous, “Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy” line from the 1988 vicepresidential debate, Beatty was impressed with the events.

“It was just great that people watched the debates,” said Beatty. “It’s important when choosing a president to see more of them than just their commercials.”

And choosing who to vote for is just what these participants were doing. While many of those polled by the mass media department said they had selected their candidates before the debates started, 27 percent of those surveyed said they didn’t know who they were going to vote for and 26 percent said the debates affected their decision.

“People were right here, in the library deciding who to vote for,” said Bearman, “that to me is huge. It was great to see students and community members engaging in the political process together.”

Briefs

By Eric Smith Topeka YMCA campaign

The Public Relations and Advertising Campaigns students presented their integrated communication plan to the class community client, the YMCA. The campaign was designed to remind the Topeka community of the three YMCA branches: great value, servicesandhistory.Acomprehensive plans book was produced by each class for the community organization.

The students’ campaigns, according to YMCA CEO Charlie Lord, will be used by the YMCA board in its master plan.

Electronic media earns awards

Photos by Britta Tjaden

Moving on up: The mass media lab received 19 new Macs in the fall. In January, the lab was upgraded with new tables, chairs and a teacher’s podium. The data projector was also a welcome addition. New lab hours have been added so students have more availabliity to the lab to work on projects outside of class.

Lab gets face lift

By Rikki Bruntmeyer

The Stauffer mass media lab has come a long way in the past few years. In 2004, the lab was equipped with the older style iMac G4 with the monitors available in a rainbow of colors; of course WU blue was the standard.

While the computers were helpful, there were many problems such as not being able to print, slow Internet access as well as programs being slow or not running properly.

The old lab also had old, folding type tables used as the main class workspace and a smaller, often wobbly, desk surrounding the perimeter of the room for each computer workspace.

So, with the old, sometimes unreliable computers and often less than helpful lab hours, anyone could plainly see that the mass media computer lab needed some major remodeling.

During the summer of

2008, the mass media lab was completely made over. Now, classroom tables that and chairs all match and don’t make you feel like you’re about to tip over. New computers were also installed for the Fall 2009 semester.

The 19 new computers are iMacs with dual core processors and large computer monitors that are helpful when working on more than one file at a time ,which students are often doing. The new computers also have the CPU as part of the monitor, which helps save space, unlike the old computers with big bulky units that took up more desk space next to the already hefty looking monitors.

“Of course, we still have our problems in the lab every now and again,” said lecturer Regina Cassell.“But, the new machines and upgraded software have greatly increased our capabilities to teach in the classroom.”

Cassell also said that the department

Four electronic media students received awards for their hard work at the Kansas Association of Broadcasters annual student competition April 20. Tanner Knowland took second place for the sports feature on Washburn women’s basketball star Janice Bright, who happens to be a mass media major.

Valerie Cavigilia and Blake Kresge earned honorable mention for their public service announcement on domestic abuse. Jaycie Wiechman took honorable mention for the TV news package on WSGA’s campus services.

Praise for chemistry brochure

Four students in Regina Cassell’s Publication Layout and Design class earned high praise from chemistry department chair Steve Angel at a Department Chairs Meeting. Ashley Shepard, Eric Smith, Nicole Stejskal and Rikki Bruntmeyer created a promotional brochure and flyer for the Chemistry Department.

The class completed 12 projects for clients this semester and Cassell has received high praise from several pleased clients.

departmentnews

Double time: athletes in MM With classes, homework, jobs and an always-changingmediaenvironment,mass media students are constantly busy trying to stay ahead of the game in school and in the working world.

Some students in the department have an added obligation while at Washburn. In addition to attending class and preparing for careers after college, a few Ichabods and Lady Blues from Washburn’s athletic teams have chosen to study mass media, as well.

One of these busy Blues is sophomore Ashley Shepard. As an outside hitter on the volleyball team, Shepard quickly learned it can be tough to maintain a reasonable schedule juggling athletics and academics.

“Being an athlete in any department and keeping up with work is probably hard,” Shepard said. “Personally, I feel like it’s really tough in the mass media department because not only are we attending class, but we’re also expected to put in additional hours for projects, stories and studying.”

Washburn fans may assume that athletes just spend time on the court during the team’s scheduled season, but the commitment to playing collegiate athletics extends beyond just a couple months of

Photo by Aaron Deffenbaugh

Taking care of business: Ashley Shepard is one of many Mass Media studentathletes at Washburn.

departmentathletes

Photo by Aaron Deffenbaugh

Swinging for the fences: Lady Blue Danielle White excelled on the diamond and in the classroom during the 2008-09 school year. games. In addition to regular practices throughout the season, the team gets together just as often when there aren’t games to be played.

“We practice at least three hours a day, four or five days a week,” said Shepard.

“And then you play at least another day or two each week during the season. For most sports, there isn’t an off-season. Practices go year-round.”

Shepard isn’t the only volleyball player majoring in mass media. Junior setter Kate Hampson plays alongside Shepard on the court, while also sharing her field of study.

The two aren’t exactly benchwarmers either. Shepard was named tothe honorable mention AVCA all-South Central Region team in 2008, and Hampson broke the school record for career assists before even completing her third year with the team.

Shepard and Hampson’s individual performances helped lead to success for the Blues as a team last year, as the squad jumped as high as third in the nation, and finished the year with a 30-6 record. With both players returning, the team looks to be equally competitive in 2009. However, Shepard says the experiences she’s gaining at Washburn won’t end when her volleyball career comes to a close.

“Every aspect of mass media goes handin-hand with sports,” she said. “There is always a need for advertising, marketing, TV and radio stations and public relations.

Mass Media athletes 2008-09

By Chris Marshall

Janice Bright, basketball Erica Brown, basketball Stanecia Graham, basketball Luke Schukman, football Ray Trice, football Vinny Vasquez, football Michael Wilhoite, football Carrie Pennewell, soccer Jordan Shefte, soccer Danielle White, softball Ashley Shepard, volleyball Kate Hampson, volleyball

Being an athlete is definitely a way to get your foot in the door.”

Aside from volleyball, several athletes from other teams have jumped at the chance to cover and play sports at the same time in the mass media program. In women’s basketball, backcourt teammates Janice Bright and Erica Brown suited up for one of the nation’s top Division II programs, while also taking classes like sports and media together last semester.

In softball, senior first baseman Danielle White majored in mass media, yet still found time be a hit on the diamond, surpassing the school’s previous career home run record and batting a team-high .399 in her finals season.

There are few students who have the athletic and multi-tasking ability to take on both sports and school, but those who do have seen great success in sports, and in their mass media coursework. In the end, Shepard says, the hectic schedules and draining practices will pay off after she graduates.

“There are a lot of upsides to being an athlete in the mass media program,” she said. “Sports play a major role in TV and radio, and people hear your name and recognize it. It’s good exposure to the world of mass media, and if you’re good enough to make a name for yourself, people will remember that.”

25 years at WU

By Eric Smith

Frank Chorba celebrated 25 years as a professor at Washburn during the spring semester.

He was recognized for his service to Washburn and thousands of students at the Washburn University Employee Recognition Ceremony on April 7.

As the senior faculty member of the mass media department, Chorba has taught everything from advertising to radio to public relations to journalism.

And during his 25 years, he has had many accomplishments. Chorba created the journal for Radio Studies in 1992, which was the first international journal dedicated to radio in the world. During his time at Washburn, Chorba also received a $150,000 grant to create a satellite down link that is still on campus today.

While Chorba, the former chair of the department, has been a professor since 1978, he sees no end to his career any time

Faculty briefs

By Amanda Bayless and Eric Smith

Cassell takes students to NYC

Frank Chorba soon.

“I’d like to continue to teach. I’m a really good teacher. I’m really well rounded,” said Chorba. “My students think I’m a good teacher. I have a lot of things unaccomplished.”

“I’d like to still have a few years to write some articles and that sort of thing. I’m in good health and I’m alert, so I think those are important factors.”

Regina Cassell, lecturer and director of student publications, was the on-site registration coordinator for the College Media Adviser’s national spring conference in New York City. Twelve Washburn students accompanied Cassell to New York for the conference. In April, Cassell finished out her two-year term as second vice president for the Kansas Associated Press Collegiate Press by planning its spring conference in Hutchinson, Kan.

DeSanto honored with award

In February, Barb DeSanto, professor and chair of the mass media department, received the Student Life Acheiving Excellence Award.

The award is presented every month to a student adviser, faculty or staff member or community leader who demonstrates excellence in working with individual students, student groups and organizations and who reflects the guiding principles of the student life area.

Photojournalism grant

Stover published Menzie tenured

By Amanda Bayless

By Amanda Bayless

Maria Raicheva-Stover has had her work accepted in two important publications.

Her chapter on mentoring academic women for a Hampton Press book on women in higher education has been accepted. Her study entitled “The Politics of Hate Or How Media Can Help an Ultra-Nationalist Party in Bulgaria Win Elections” will be published in the June issue of Limina, a refereed journal of historical and cultural studies.

Dr. Kathy Menzie received tenure and was promoted to associate professor.

Menzie has a Master’s in Journalism and a Ph.D. in Communication studies from the University of Kansas, where her dissertation was on blogs. Menzie is also interested in design and public relations. Menzie started working at Washburn in the fall of 1998 after starting out as an adjunct for the university.

A $2,000 grant was awarded to the mass media department during the 2009 spring semester to be used for thedevelopmentofaphotojournalism class.

Professors Charles Cranston and Maria Raicheva-Stover headed up the grant project for the class.

“The course, although a new one, is only part of many new courses we will be offering in coming years,” said Cranston, who will be teaching the class.

The photojournalism class, according to the grant project proposal, “will teach student to translate ideas and newsworthy informationintovisual/photographic stories.”

The media field now demands graduates who are not only ‘visually literate,’ but graduates who can communicate with a variety of emerging technologies.”

faculty

Adjuncts

By Amanda Bayless

Jim Allan

Jim Allan, Broadcast Programming & Sales instructor, is the general manager of Country Legends 106.9FM. Allan spends his free time helping the community with programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Topeka, Topeka Advertising Federation, the American Red Cross, and spending time with his wife Aimee and children Riggs and Emma as they wait for the arrival of their third child in mid-June.

Jim Hollis

Photo by Shayln Marsh

Kicker: Andrew Martin, visiting professor from Aberdeen Business school of the Robert Gordon University in Scotland.

Scottishexperience

By Linda Meyer

When Susie Pryor, assistant professor in the Washburn University School of Business, began research in how to market the wine industry in Kansas, she never thought that it would lead to Scotland.

Pryor came across an article on Scottish distilleries written by Andrew Martin, a professor at Aberdeen Business School of The Robert Gordon University, Scotland.

As the two began communicating, Pryor realized that Martin’s knowledge would be beneficial to Washburn and asked him to teach in Kansas.

“Because he is so knowledgeable about tourism, I wanted to bring him to campus knowing he would be an asset in both the school of business and the department of mass media,” Pryor said.

Martinspentthespringsemesterteaching three classes: principles of marketing, consumer behavior and travel and tourism.

His experience as the youngest general manager for Swallow Hotels, an overseer of major capital projects and an expert in strategic management in tourism, gives students a strong foundation in these areas.

“I think his real-world experience blends nicely with his managerial perspective,” Pryor said. “I hope it feels more global to

faculty

the students.”

At the Aberdeen School of Business, Martin is the director of the Scottish Centre for Tourism. SCoT provides impartial expertise on tourism issues of regional and national importance. As vice chairman of the hotel association, Martin is a tourism advocate in the Scottish Parliament, helping them understand where they should be in regards to tourism.

All this experience and knowledge is being passed on to Washburn students.

Pryor sees it immediately adding value to the programs. Since tourism is one of Kansas’ largest industries, she hopes to achieve a dialogue between the business school and the mass media department about tourism, eventually developing a program at Washburn.

Martin’s impression of Washburn is positive. He said the students are engaging, interested and interesting; they have a maturity and willingness to contribute.

He is also glad to see that there are a lot of students returning to further their education.

“I love Washburn,” Martin said. “It has a good campus feel and is tidy and well kept. I like how the school interacts with the community.”

Jim Hollis, Intro to Mass Media instructor, was in broadcast news for 40 years when he retired in 1996 and was a member of the Radio/Television News Directors Association for 14 years. Hollis was one of the creators of the high school student quiz show in 1982 that is now called Quest and shown on KTWU-TV. Hollis is teaching a new course this Fall called History of the Mass Media.

Phil Grecian

Phil Grecian, Advertising instructor, is heavily involved with professional theaters in Canada and the United States, showcasing a couple of his plays. Grecian was nominated for a National Telly Award for the live broadcast of staged radio dramatization of “It’s A Wonderful Life” on KTWU, which he wrote, co-produced and acted in.

Michael W. Merriam

Michael W. Merriam, Mass Media Law instructor, plans on continuing to practice law as he has done for 33 years, representing hundreds of media clients and other businesses.

Matthew Tidwell

Matthew Tidwell, Promotions Writing instructor, is the director of Corporate Communications at Great Plains Energy and Kansas City Power and Light. Tidwell has served on the board of directors for Ozanam, Public Relations Society of America and the Kansas City Sports Commission.

Tidwell lives in Shawnee with his wife and 12-year-old son.

Real classes with real clients

By Paige Lockard

The Mass Media department has changed the curriculum for current students in the mass media field. Several classes have different formats, and others have been merged together.

Barb DeSanto, chair of the Mass Media department,saidthedepartment’s plans for the new Mass Media curriculum include combining public relations and advertising into “Strategic Communication.”

“Students will be studying both public relations and advertising in all of those classes,” said DeSanto. “That will give students knowledge and skills in both areas.”

One of the classes taught by DeSanto during the spring semester is Advertising Campaigns. The course is unique because students work with a real client, conducting research and developing an effective advertising campaign for the client’s business.

The current Advertising Campaigns class works directly with the Topeka YMCA. After sending out surveys, personally interviewing people at all the YMCAs and developinga strategy,the class put together a commercial that features the YMCA in a positive light.

Christine Nelson, Carrie Pennewell and Angie Marquart are three of the 16 students enrolled in the class, all of whom are very enthusiastic about the project.

“I think it’s neat that we get to gain real life experience through this class by working with an actual client,” said Nelson.

“Instead of always just listening to lectures about how to handle an ad campaign, we get to do it.”

Pennewell recognizes the importance of research when it comes to developing an advertising campaign. She said the class has shown her how to put together a successful campaign for a client.

Marquart has also enjoyed working on the advertising campaign for the YMCA. She has worked hard on each step because she knows it’s not just for a grade in the class.

“We have been given the opportunity to take what we have learned in previous classes and apply it in a

real-world situation,” said Marquart. “The experience that we have gained from this class is awesome and will be extremely influential when applying for jobs.”

Every student in the course has worked hard to develop the message and layout of the YMCA commercial. The message that the class agreed will be displayed in all three 30-second commercials is “The YMCA: More Than Just a Gym.” DeSanto understands the importance of this project for mass media students.

She said there are several opportunities

available from working with the YMCA that will benefit them in the working world. “[Students are] working with a live client that will actually use the campaign they develop,” said DeSanto, “and the students will gain experience as partners with public relations to create a comprehensive promotional plan that includes both public relations and advertising strategies. These things are exactly what students will be doing in their careers.”

Photo by Paige Lockard

Working out mmin the real world: Students from the Advertising Campaigns class created and produced three commercials for the local YMCAs.

in the classroom

Environment impactsmedia

by Linda Meyer

Scanning across the headlines of newspapers, magazines and 24-hour news stations, readers may see some common phrases. Words like “global warming,” “earth friendly” and “going green” are seen again and again. One could argue that media cover this hot topic because people suddenly realized that the world is in trouble, but maybe people are becoming aware of this issue because the media pushed it to the forefront.

The effects of media on culture have been studied by sociologists for more than a century, but its impact on a society’s focus is still debated.

“Agenda setting is a common study in many social sciences,” said Maria RaichevaStover, assistant professor of mass media at Washburn. “Popular media doesn’t tell people what to think, but it does have the ability to tell people what to think about.”

{ } The media are now embracing energy efficiency and clean energy more because the public has become more aware.

Kellis Bayless

Popular media are not just television, radio and newspapers. They also include movies, books and magazines. Children’s literature, parenting magazines and even kids’ meal packaging have jumped

agendasetting

on the bandwagon to promote the environmental issue.

“In my opinion, the media overall did moretopromoteconflictbetweenscientists than it did to promoting the idea that humans were altering natural cycles and that humans should reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases,” said Kellis Bayless, biology, ecology and environmental issues lecturer at Washburn.

Bayless is a strong advocate for taking care of the environment. He said the “green” movement discussed in the media is related to clean energy production and energy efficiency and not the loss of biodiversity, pollution (other than greenhouse gases) or habitat loss.

Only a decade ago, people who embraced the importance of organic foods and clothing were considered “tree huggers.”Now it has became so mainstream

that these products can be found at WalMart, a barometer of popular culture said Raicheva-Stover.

Political and social factors pushed the environmental agenda to be on the national agenda. With the popularity of “An Inconvenient Truth,” a documentary about global warming by former Vice President Al Gore, our society recognized this issue is important.

Washburn has made some effort to go green this year. By keeping the air conditioning higher and the heat lower, recycling paper and not printing hard copies of course catalogs and student handouts, Washburn saves money and also happens to help the environment.

“I’m not sure if the push to go green at Washburn was because of the environment, butbecauseofcosteffectivenessandmoney savings,” said Raicheva-Stover.

photo courtesy of Charles Cranston

Kicker: The Film Experience: Students work in Leavenworth, Kan., on Charles Cranston’s film “Dogs of Eden.” They experienced the reality of all the work that goes into putting together each individual scene.

Students work on film set

by Dana Sanchez

Students in Charles Cranston’s TV Production 2 class spent their fall break learning about television production.

The class of eight students traveled to Leavenworth, Kan. from Oct. 3 - 5 to help create a promotion for Cranston’s film “Dogs of Eden.”

The promotion was shot in collaboration with Outpost Productions, a production company in Kansas City, to help raise funds for the movie. Jaycie Wiechman, a senior who completed an internship last year at Outpost Productions, was the assistant director on the project. She began preparing for filming during the summer of 2008, meeting with Cranston, the second assistant director and producer, at least once a week up until filming. On set, Wiechman worked 15-hour days organizing script breakdowns, shooting

schedules, call sheets and choreography.

“It was a lot of hard work and very long hours, but I learned so much,” said Wiechman, who wants to go into the film industry after graduation. “I learned a lot more doing the project than I could ever in a classroom, because you are immersed in it.”

On the set of the promo, several students worked closely with the grip crew, enabling them to get more involved with the project.

“This was difficult work for them; everyone was multitasking,” Cranston said.

“Nothing was classroom-oriented. The students saw firsthand that there was no glamour involved. It’s hard work.”

Many crew members worked 18-hour days breaking down sets. Colten Henry, a production assistant, said his job required a lot of heavy lifting. He moved power cords,

put up lighting and set up and broke down the scenes.

“Dr. Cranston felt that we would learn far more on set than we ever would in class, and he was right,” Henry said. “I learned a lot about all the stuff that goes on behind the scenes, all the work that ends up in an eight-second shoot.”

Thad Lockard, who also worked as a production assistant on the project, said people might complain about their 9-to-5 jobs, but they don’t have any idea about the long hours it takes to shoot a film.

But despite all the physical work and long hours, Lockard appreciated the knowledge and skills he gained on the film production set.

“It was a good experience,” he said. “It was a lot of stop and go, hurry up and wait.

It was interesting to see what went into an eight-second clip.”

electronicmedia

Grad fulfills media dreams

by Rikki Bruntmeyer

{ } It showed us how much you actually have to work in this business if you really want to get anywhere.

Christopher Dolezilek

which he took during the spring of 2005.

Taught by Frank Chorba, the class involves performing skits for television and radio.

The students write the scripts themselves.

“I liked this class the most because we were actually learning how to do what I was planning on doing in my future career,” said Dolezilek. “I always tried to make my

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presentations more realistic because I really wanted to get the most out of them.”

Dolezilek realized he had a talent for videography while he was enrolled in BeginningVideoTechnologies in the spring of 2006. Taught by Charles Cranston, Dolezilek increased his knowledge of video editing software in the class, and he learned how to shoot the videos himself.

Dolezilek produced several clever short films, frequently using his classmates as subjects. With his new videography skills, Dolezilek opened a small production company. So far, the company has dealt primarily in wedding video and photography.

“I decided to shoot wedding material because it’s something that people are always going to want,” said Dolezilek.

“There are always going to be weddings, and it’s the most challenging during the editing process.”

In outdoor weddings, Dolezilek usually edits shots several times because they feature unwanted background noise, such as wind, and many of the frames won’t be used.

Dolezilek also worked on Cranston’s 2006 film “Through Martha’s Eyes,” about an African American girl who was sold into slavery in 1856 and forced to work

www.washburnbookstore.com

Christopher Dolezilek always knew he wanted to work in the media. After he finished his first two years of college at Cloud County Community College, where he learned about broadcast media, Dolezilek enrolled at Washburn University to complete a degree in mass media.

Dolezilek arrived at Washburn hoping to become either a weatherman or a news anchor, but he knew he would be happy doing anything with the media. His favorite class was Broadcast Performance,

Half cold sub and combo

photo by Rikki Bruntmeyer at the Shawnee Mission Indian School in Kansas.

“We worked for days out in parts of western Kansas filming for the movie,” said Dolezilek. “Almost everyone from the TV production lab came to help and it showed us how much you actually have to work in this business if you really want to get anywhere.”

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Washburn Review hits the Web

by Eric Smith

Convergence. Multimedia. Internet.

As mass media moves forward with new technological developments, so too are Washburn University students with a Web site devoted to Washburn news.

The site, www.washburnreview.org, has been around for about nine years, but it was never something that attracted a lot of attention, until now.

Andrew Roland, editor-in-chief of the Washburn Review Online for the 2008-09 school year, did a lot to improve the site and make it a place for people to learn about what’s going on at Washburn.

“I like the opportunity to take something and make it bigger and better than it was before,” said Roland, who graduated in May with a degree in public administration.

“That’s kind of a common theme. Every job I’ve had has been taking something simple and building it into a much more complex, well-functioning organization.”

“I also like being able to pursue more of the journalistic events because I’m not a mass media person,” he said. “It’s cool to be able to go play reporter every now and then.”

The average number of page views per week on the Web site has doubled since last year. The site has new features that make it more user-friendly, including a new design, multimedia, blogs and weekly polls. “[The Web site] is a lot more open, and it’s easier to interpret,” said Roland. “But my favorite thing would have to be the page that features all the videos. It’s nice having everything in one place and being able to see the work of everybody on our team.”

These videos, featuring campus and community events, include everything from lizard hunting with the science department to an interview with a magician to students salsa dancing. It’s all part of an attempt to show the community what students, faculty and staff are doing at Washburn.

“If you’re on campus, you have a chance to pick up the newspaper and read it like that,” said Roland. “But if you’re a prospective student, or if you’re the parents of the student, or if you’re familiar with

Photo by Michael Goehring

Video Reporting in Action Valerie Caviglia films a story on Greek Olympics to be put on the Review webpage.

Washburn but not in the general area, the Washburn Review Online is going to be your source.”

While the Review Online Web site has some new additions, it still features every story published in the Washburn Review.

And viewers can still read and comment on stories that appeal to them.

“The Review Online can’t take credit for the all of the activity on the Web site,” said Roland. “A lot of it is coming from the excellent reporting that the print edition of the Washburn Review does. Stories that

{ } I think the angle that the Washburn Review Online fills is people who don’t have access to campus.

Andrew Roland

have had the most comments are about campus issues that have been covered in the Washburn Review. It’s the newspaper that provides the content. We just provide the forum to talk about it.”

The Review has had some well-written stories that have gained attention, none more than the lawsuit with the University of Wisconsin over trademark infringement with Washburn’s logo.

“We had an editorial from the editorial board, so it was the Review’s view, about how petty the editorial board felt that this lawsuit was,” said Roland. “And it was linked to a blog from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel about sports. And we got several thousand views that week coming solely from Wisconsin. So that by far has been the biggest story.”

The World Wide Web is exactly that, worldwide, a fact the Review Online staff learned as people from around the globe checked out the site.

“The first few days we had Google Analytics installed, said Corey Jones, managing editor of the Review Online,

studentpublications

studentpublications

Student publication awards

“we had hits coming from Australia and Finland. We had no idea, it’s just amazing to think about how anyone can pull up your Web site and poke around on it. The potential is not limitless but close to it.”

As the Review Online makes strides into the future, changes and improvements will continue to be made in hopes of getting news out before it gets old.

“The web is always timely, so you’re always in a rush to get something out as quick as you can without losing that,” said Jones. “You want to provide good analysis and good things to post on it, but at the same time, it’s a race to beat the next person.”

Jones graduated in May with a degree in mass media and hopes to pass on the torch to others to ensure the Review Online continues transforming the way people get their news about Washburn.

“Just keep looking for us around campus,” said Jones. “We’ll be out there, talking to people, getting stories, just trying to serve the Washburn community and Topeka community better.”

The Review 2008 Washburn Review: All Kansas Award Washburn Review Online: Gold Medalist Washburn Editorital Board: Editorial Writing - Honorable Mention Brandon Bills: Leia Karimul Bashar: Chris Marshall:

Christine Nelson: Travis Perry:

Josh Rouse:

Paige Stonerock: Arissa Utemark: ReAnne Utemark:

Series Writing - Honorable Mention Review Writing - 3rd Place Cartoons - 1st Place, 2nd Place, Honorable Mention Sports News Writing - 3rd Place, Honorable Mention Series Writing - 3rd Place Front Page Design - Honorable Mention Infographic Design - 2nd Place Review Writing - 2nd Place Sports Column Writing - 1st Place Feature Writing - Honorable Mention Photo Essay - 2nd Place Photo Essay - 3rd Place Interior Page Design - 2nd Place

Kaw 2008 Valerie Caviglia: Carrie Koch: Shalyn Marsh:

Linda Meyer: Eric Smith: Katelyn Weishaar:

Event Coverage - 1st Place Sports Season Writing - 3rd Place Sport Page Design - 3rd Place, Honorable Mention Feature Writing - 1st Place Feature Writing - 2nd Place Event Coverage - 3rd Place Event Coverage - 2nd Place

Alumni class notes Heath Anderson

Beth Davis

Valerie Holmes Baker

Dustin Dean

Anderson, 1998, is now a litigation attorney with a law firm out of Kansas City, Mo.

Baker, 2008, is working as a marketing assistant for the National Association of Trailer Manufacturers. Baker was married in August 2008.

Terri Spinner Benson

Benson, 1993, is first vice president of the board for the American Advertising Federation of Topeka.

Matthew Bergmann

Bergmann, 2001, jd 2005, and Shannon (Charbonneau) Bergmann, ba 2001, had a baby boy, Grady Matthew in August 2008.

Ryan Bishop

Bishop, 2008, is the educational and cultural diversity chairman of the Topeka Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators board of directors.

Courtney Cook

Cook, 2009, is the communications director at Advisors Excel.

Nicole Corcoran

Corcoran, 1993, is chief of staff for the University of Kansas athletic director.

Kyle Cordts

Cordts, 2009, has worked for the Topeka Youth Project but is taking a management position with Family Video. Kyle is engaged to Kendra Steckline.

Davis, 2005, is the senior account executive for Osborn & Barr Communications in Kansas City.

Dean, 2001, is the creative producer for Jones Huyett Partners.

Molly Zeckser Howey

Howey, 2008, is the marketing associate for major accounts for Kid Stuff Marketing in Topeka. She is married to John Howey and they have 3 children together.

Curtis Kitchen

Ellis, 1996, is working for the Girl Scouts-Dakota Horizons as the membership specialist for Minnehaha County.

Kitchen, 2002, started a new business in Kansas City and is the executive vice president of communications for Top of the Table, LLC. He also works at Union Broadcasting in Kansas City.

Kitchen is also the producer for Hot Talk 1510 KCTE, and Sports Radio 810 WHB. Kitchen follows the Kansas City Wizards as the beat reporter for MLSnet.com.

Karl Fundenberger

Evan Linton

Chelle Dell Decker

Decker, 1997, was elected to the board of the Association of Kansas Theatre.

Michelle Ellis

Fundenberger, 2008, is a partner at Mixed Media, LLP, and has recently finished a successful social media campaign in Topeka.

Lisa Martin Gilchrist

Gilchrist, 1989, is membership cochairwoman of Women United, an initiative of United Way of Greater Topeka.

Faith Griffin

Griffin, 2008, is a communications assistant for LifeCare Management Services in Plano, Texas.

Jamie Kennedy Hornbaker

Hornbaker, XX, is the director of communications for the United Way of Greater Topeka. She is also the vice president for the Association of Women in Communications and an on-air volunteer auctioneer for KTWU. Jamie married Matt Hornbaker on April 11.

Linton, 2008, is currently living in Burbank, Calif. attending Video Symphony. He will finish with his certification in the popular editing software Avid.

Mikaela Maschmeier

Maschmeier, 2004, is currently enrolled in a masters program through Wichita State and is the commencement officer and conference coordinator at Wichita State University.

Whitney McMahan

McMahan, 2005, is the journalism teacher and student publications adviser at Cypress Ridge High School in Houston, Texas.

Amanda Millard Hughes

Millard, 2000, married Michael Hughes, Topeka in 2008. She is assistant director of university relations at Washburn.

classnotes

Alumni class notes Erin Wichman Mohwinkle

Mohwinkle, 2007, is an agent advertising specialist at Aviva in Topeka.

Brandy Nance

Nance, 2003, is currently in graduate school working on her MBA. She is working for the Emporia Gazette as a beat reporter.

Mary Hammel Napier

Napier, 2004, is the president for Napier Communications Inc.

Brad Noller

Noller, 2000, and Tiffany (Walter) Noller, bsn 2002, have two children together, Jackson Thomas and Parker James.

Gina Nelson Penzig

Penzig, 1996, Topeka, is past president/ senior delegate of the Topeka Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators board of directors.

Alicia Phillips

Phillips, 2008, is the merchandise distribution analyst for Payless Shoe Source corporate headquarters. She plans to attend graduate school at the University of Kansas.

Keri Battershell Renner

Renner, 2003, Topeka, was elected vice president-professional development of the Topeka Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators.

Lydia Becker Rodehorst

Rodehorst, 2006, is the sales and marketing manager of Becker Autos in Beloit, Kan. She is also a board member of the Beloit Chamber of Commerce and of Solomon Valley Economic Development.

Pernilla Schickhardt

MAIL:

Mass Media Department Washburn University 1700 SW College Ave. Topeka, KS 66621

classnotes

Stephanie Lockhart Symns

Symns, 2006 Atchison, Kan. joined MGP Ingredients Inc. as manager of communications services.

Shelleanne Flyntz Thompson

Thompson, 1996, Topeka, is a communications strategist at FHL Bank.

Sarah Van Dalsem

Jeannine Snyder

Ernie Webb

Snyder, 2008, is the coordinating editor of Farm Collector magazine for Ogden Publications in Topeka. She is also the copy editor of both Motorcycle Classics and Gas Engine Magazine.

Nicole Steckman

{ } 785-670-1836

Stonerock, 2008, is assignment editor of the news at KCTV 5 and MyKSMO.

Van Dalsem, 2007, has been given a graduate research assistantship and chancellors’ fellowship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Steckman, 2001, is getting her master’s from Georgetown University. She is also the director of marketing and business development for the Department of Continuing Legal Education at Georgetown University Law Center.

E-MAIL: CALL:

Paige Stonerock

Schickhardt, 2006, is a media buyer/ planner associate of APC by Schneider Electric EMEA.

Send us your updates

regina.cassell@washburn.edu

The Mass Media department and alumni would love to know what you have been up to since graduation.

We want to know everything: jobs, marriages, babies, and accomplishments.

Webb, 1998, is the assistant sports editor of the Daily Press. They placed top 10 from the Associated Press Sports Editors for daily sports sections, as well as first place in sports page in the state of Virginia.

Tricia White

White, 2008, is a marketing associate at Payless ShoeSource.

James Wilper

Wilper, 2005, moved to Glasgow, Scotland to get his masters in Reading European Cultures. He is now at Birkbeck College, University of London getting his doctorate in Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies.

FALL 2008

Mass Media Graduates

Luke Hartnett Thad Lockard Alicia Phillips Danielle Smith

SPRING 2009

David Becker Brandon Bills Zachary Brown Shanley Connor-Cox Courtney Cook Kyle Cordts Kevin Dame Cindy Fincham Corey Jones Whitney Jones Carrie Koch Lana Kraus Shalyn Marsh Christopher Marshall Linda Meyer Travis Perry Tara Schroeder Ryan Sinovic Brett Strathman Timothy Traynor Robert Van Trump Danielle White Jaycie Wiechman Clara Wilper

SUMMER 2009

Lindsay Breese Leah Brown Ross Corbett Andrew Dunlap Jessica Gabel Angela Marquart Eric Meyer Christine Nelson Robert Platt Maggie Robinson Dana Sanchez Alex Siegel Eric Smith Adam Stewart

Brandon Bills

Zachary Brown

Cindy Fincham

Luke Hartnett

Corey Jones

Whitney Jones

Carrie Koch

Shalyn Marsh

Linda Meyer

Travis Perry

Alicia Phillips

Tara Schroeder

Ryan Sinovic

Danielle Smith

Eric Smith

Clara Wilper

Congratulationsgraduates Let us know about jobs, awards, marriages, kids and any other news your wish to share. Contact massmedia@washburn.edu or e-mail your faculty.

Regina Cassell, regina.cassell@washburn.edu Frank Chorba, frank.chorba@washburn.edu CharlesCranston,charles.cranston@washburn.edu

Barb DeSanto, barb.desanto@washburn.edu Kathy Menzie, kathy.menzie@washburn.edu Maria Stover, maria.stover@washburn.edu

classnotes

Internships

Some Past Providers Boundless Creative Creative Business Solutions Cumulus Broadcasting Cutshall Imaging (2) EventPros, Inc.

All mass media students complete internships. Students accept positions in Topeka, around the state and across the globe.

Faith Lutheran Church Family Service & Guidance Center (4) Gizmo Pictures (3) Heartland Park Topeka Independent film producer Kansas Contractors Association Kansas Family Partnership Kansas Health Policy Authority Kansas Historical Society (3) KQRC 98.9 The Rock KRBZ 96.5 The Buzz KTKA 49 News (3) KYYS 99.7 National Guard National Vision, Inc. Nelson Atkins Museum of Art Ogden Publications Outpost Communications (3) State representative in Kansas Legislature The Kansas City T-Bones baseball team The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Topeka Capital-Journal (6) United Way of Greater Topeka (2) Wal-Mart Corporate Headquarters Washburn Admissions WIBW-TV WIBW 580

Small Business Solutions Financial Planning

Curtis Henderson, CPA 1800 SW Harrison Topeka, KS 66612 (P) 785-CPA-1040 (F) 785-235-2006 Cell:785-231-0829 Curtis@cpa1040.net

classnotes

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