Com m unication Studies Dep artm ent
Volume 2
April 2014
Tom Bigler Journalism Conference Edition
THE MEDIUM A quarterly newsletter serving Wilkes University students, faculty, alum ni , and friends.
Welcome to the annual Tom Bigler Journalism Conference! By: Brittany Battista, Morgan Evans and Dominick Costantino Welcome to the 14th Annual Tom Bigler Journalism Conference. As senior members of the planning committee of this conference, we would all like to thank you for spending your day with us. This is an exciting event for our Communication Studies department at Wilkes because every year we welcome hundreds of students to our special day. This year’s theme is “Online Journalism.” As we learn about this exciting new area of communications, we would like to pay special tribute to this conference’s founder and namesake. Tom Bigler, legendary journalist and community leader, passed away in March 2007 at the age of 85. It was Professor Bigler who organized the first journalism conference for high school students 23 years ago, in 1990. Professor Bigler volunteered to contact some “friends” to speak at a special conference for future journalists. That first year the guest speakers
included an Executive VP for News at ABC, the editor of the Journal of Foreign Affairs and the Sports Editor for The Philadelphia News. Each year, Professor Bigler used his network of friends to make the annual conference a must attend event for area journalism students and advisors. In 2000, when he resigned from full-time teaching due to failing health, the Photo Credit: Michelle Geiser Conference was named the Annual Tom Bigler Bigler committee members Dr. Mark Stine, Dr. Loran Lewis, Journalism Conference. Morgan Evans, Dominick Costantino and Brittany Battista. It is truly wonderAbsent: Shawn Carey ful to see the high level engaged, ask questions, network, learn of interest that is present year after year something new, meet new friends and at this conference. Throughout all the have fun. Thanks for coming and we hope sessions today, we encourage you to be you have a great day!
Students make Memories through Study Abroad in London By: Ashley Evert and James Jaskolka-Butler Fourteen students embarked on a weeklong study abroad trip to London over spring break. Dr. Mark Stine and Dr. John Hepp led the trip from March 1-8 as advisers for the two areas of study that the trip could count for: communications studies and history. Students attended three class sessions per day at historical sites like the Museum of London, the British Museum, the British Library, The Globe Theatre, Westminster Abbey and the BBC Broadcasting House. After class, they were free to explore the city on their own or with the group and see iconic pop culture locations like Abbey Road and the set of the Harry Potter films, which some students chose to visit Page 1
Photo Credit: Haley Adam
Students Haley Adam and Priscilla Bonilla in London. independently. Stine said that this year’s trip was, “one of the best in terms of student interest and
engagement.” Stine said that he returns to London every year because, “London is a wonderful city to study both the development of communication and the development of cities and cultures. London was the first city in the world with over a million people, so studying its development and issues with communication and culture are truly a natural fit.” Despite the fact that it was an educational trip and not a purely recreational vacation, those who attended cited the experience as overwhelmingly positive. “It’s a totally different classroom experience than sitting in a lecture or getting together for a group project,” junior communications studies major Alyssa Stencavage said.
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Com m unication Studies Dep artm ent
April 2014
“An Extra Helping” Raises over $2,800 for CMN By: Morgan Evans
On Sunday, March 23rd, Zebra Communications hosted the event “An Extra Helping” at Rodano’s on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. About 200 community members gathered for an afternoon of food, fun and live entertainment while helping to support the Children’s Miracle Network at Geisinger. For only $15, guests were able to enjoy unlimited pizza, stromboli and drinks along with a dessert competition, basket raffles and the chance to hear personal stories and testimonies from miracle children and their families that have been supported by CMN. Zebra Communications helped to raise a grand total of $2,873.55 for the organization. Senior Communication Studies major and 2005 Poster Child for CMN, Dominick Costantino co-emceed the event with WBRE news anchor, Monica Madeja. Together, they brought the heartwarming stories of the miracle children and their families to the forefront. Event-goers were able to hear about all of the wonderful support the organization provides for children and families in need. The miracle families helped to remind ev-
eryone that any donations made were truly going directly to paying a child’s medical bill, the equipment that helped save their child’s life, or even the little things that helped keep their child at ease during a turbulent time, such as a stuffed animal or a DVD. CMN is a non-profit organization that raises money for over 170 hospitals across the United States and Canada. The donations raised goes to where it is needed most. Donations have been used to support research and training, purchase equipment, and pay for uncompensated care. CMN’s mission is to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible. All donations from the event go to support regional hospitals where local families are in need of care. The event featured live entertainment by the Wilkes University Jazz Band as well as vocals from Communication Studies major, Macy McGuire and her guitarist Brandon Schmeer that kept the celebration going all afternoon. Area pageant winners Cassie Cerulli, Miss Hershey Area, Bryn Harvey, Miss Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Brooke Piscotty, Miss Pennsylvania’s Princess helped to raise awareness for the cause by speaking about CMN and all of
the assistance they provide. Guests enjoyed the dessert competition with submissions from local bakers. Ashly Stivers, of Dallas, Pa., won the title for “Best Dessert in NEPA” with her lemon cupcake creation with lemon filling and a vanilla bean butter cream. Photographer Michelle Geiser of Bepa Studio showcased her nature scenes artwork to guests and donated a portion of proceeds from works sold during the event directly to CMN. Twenty-two guests also left with a winning raffle basket donated from generous businesses and individuals from the WilkesBarre/Scranton area. Wilkes University nursing major, Jim Malizia was thrilled to be at the event supporting an organization that gives back to families with children in need of medical assistance. “I had such a great time! Listening to what the miracle children and their families had to say was inspirational. I was happy to support their cause!” Zebra Communications will present their grand total on live television at the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon check presentation held at the Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville, PA on June 1st, 2014.
Bonnie Fuller, founding president and editor-in-chief of Hollywoodlife.com, along with filmmaker and journalist Michael Skolnik. Different fields of communication studies were addressed during the conference including broadcast television, broadcast radio, yearbook design, photography, and journalism. Those in attendance gained valuable skills to take with them in their respective fields. “I valued the networking possibilities I gained from the conference,” Shaker said. Networking seemed to also be a huge benefit of attending the conference. “I found the CMA conference a rewarding experience, and not to mention an honor, to be able to network with professionals in the industry and bring back what I learned to Wilkes,” Nick Durdan, sophomore communication studies major said. One of the goals of going to CMA is for students to take back what they learned and apply it to their chosen
field. Wilkes has five extra-curricular activities on campus for communication studies; WCLH radio, Wilkes Now TV broadcast, The Beacon newspaper, and Zebra Communications, and Speech and Debate. To stress the importance of going to this conference Shaker adds, “If they (students) are interested in becoming leaders in their extra-curricular activities or finding a job, professionals and employers were there speaking about what they look for in applicants or tips to better yourself and projects.”
Students Attend College Media Association Convention By: Nicole Zukowski
Learning skills and networking were the focus at the College Media Association Convention for communication studies majors. Six students along with Dr. Loran Lewis and Dr. Mark Stine departed from Wilkes on March 13 to attend the CMA conference in New York City. The group stayed at the Sheraton Hotel where the conference was held and returned to Wilkes on March 15. The student participated in workshops, sessions, and media tours. “I loved the sessions about radio,” Rasha Shaker, communication studies major said. “It was interesting to learn skills for management and the laws that WCLH has to follow to be a radio station.” Students were able to listen to speakers, who gave their best career advice to the audience. The keynote speakers were CBS Evening News Anchor and Managing Editor Scott Pelley and Page 2
Photo Credit: Nicole Zukowski
Pictured is Nick Durdan, Ashley Evert, James Jaskolka-Butler, Bill Amos, and Nicole Zukowski at the CMA Conference.
Com m unication Studies Dep artm ent
April 2014
Q&A with Andrew Seaman, Keynote Speaker of Bigler Conference By: Shawn Carey This year’s keynote speaker is Andrew Seaman who graduated from Wilkes in 2010 and received his master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of Journalism in Investigative Journalism. He was named “Student of the Year” in 2011 which is awarded to “a student whose energy and talent make him or her an example of a superior Columbia Journalism graduate.” Currently, Seaman is a medical, health and science journalist for Thomson Reuters, the world’s largest news agency. Andrew has published articles in USA Today, Politico, and many other news outlets. We believe his overview as someone who has grown up and now works in a digital world will provide a valuable perspective for students. Recently, we talked to Andrew about his upcoming keynote address and his career in journalism since he graduated from Wilkes. Q: Why did you decide to speak at the Bigler Conference this year? Well, they asked me and I said yes. I liked Bigler at Wilkes; I always helped out with it all four years at Wilkes. I hadn’t really had the opportunity to return to the conference because of work and this year Dr. Stine and Dr. Lewis asked me, and I said I would be happy to. Q: What do you plan to speak about this year? It is going to be about Online Journalism and I am going to try to keep it realistic because a lot of the kids that are going to come to this have some idea about journalism with their high school newspaper, but a lot of them probably aren’t going to pursue other classes in journalism or newspapers or in TV. I would like it to be more educational about what Online Journalism is. It will be an updated media literacy overview. Q: Why do you think it is so important to have a conference like this at a small university? I think Wilkes-Barre is a great place to study journalism, if you think about it. There are not a lot of places in the country like Wilkes-Barre. You have two daily competing newspapers which is
so incredibly rare. Some cities are lucky to have one. Some large cities don’t even have newspapers published every day. In Wilkes-Barre, you have two newspapers that literally publish every day and compete against each other. Wilkes is known as one of the better places to study journalism in NEPA. The facilities are great. They have the public access channel that has the potential to reach a lot of people.
Photo Credit: Andrew Seaman
Q: What role does online journalism play at your job? Most people come to our stories through the internet. We are an online wire. We sell our articles. Most people when they see my articles they open upYahoo!. They read my stuff through the internet. Facebook and Twitter are reporting tools. Everything is sort of online journalism now. That is where everything goes. There are few that still print in hardcopy. For me, online is where everything happens. There are some people who believe that they can sit at a desk and report the world. But you still need that face to face communication. Online reporting is important. Q: How has journalism changed since you graduated from Wilkes? There was a time when a lot of people were being laid off from newspapers and media organizations were reevaluating how they were going to do business. When I graduated, a lot of people were figuring out what they were going to do. I think there is a realization that
journalism itself doesn’t change, just the business model. Community newspapers and smaller newspapers are still figuring out where they’re going to be. The same principles are going to remain but we are going to have a lot of neat ways to report stories. Q: How did Wilkes prepare you for your job at Reuters? Basically, Wilkes was great; going to a small school was great. I picked Wilkes after I applied to many schools. When I went to other schools I came to the realization that I can’t do journalism my first couple of years. If you went to a large school, you did your science and English but you did not take journalism classes until your second year. When I went to Wilkes, they told me I could take my journalism classes my first year if I wanted to. Between my freshman and sophomore year I had my first internship and I went on to have nine internships. Because Wilkes was small, I was able to move my classes around to fit my schedule. Q: What traits do you think someone should have to have a career in journalism? What I think a lot of people should do is to have a specific topic of interest. The best advice is to do a double major. I would pick a topic like political science and then a minor in journalism. So I think having journalism as a double major is a great idea because you can come out being able to write scripts but you always have expertise in a specific subject. Q: What other advice would you give students about to begin their career in journalism? Get as much real world experience as you can. I know a lot of people want to have the best grades possible, which is important. When you apply for a job, you need something that sets you apart from everyone else. You need to be out there looking for opportunities to give you experience. You can get clips to say “look I have this experience”, but it also gives you a chance to decide if you want to do that specific job as a career. Follow Andrew on Twitter @andrewmseaman. Page 3
Com m unication Studies Dep artm ent
April 2014
With the 40th Anniversary of WCLH, the legacy lives on By: Rasha Shaker WCLH/90.7 celebrates its 40th Anniversary with new equipment and karaoke. On Friday, April 25th, WCLH will celebrate 40 Years Locked with music, prizes, and singing. The celebration will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in The Henry Student Center Ballroom. With a celebration underway, WCLH rejoices with state of the art equipment where students hone their skill in production and on air presentation. WCLH operates using The Scott Studio System, and the old model that was used by students and e-staff members was approximately seven years old. The equipment that was installed is the newest version of that model.
The systems have been installed in the studio and the production room, ready for use. Renee Loftus, General Manager of WCLH said that this equipment will be more user friendly. “The system will know you, it will be basically very easy for students to learn on for both onair and production,” Renee said. “I want everything to be a smooth transition,” Eric Casey, junior Communication Studies major said. With the equipment installed and the new antenna in place, listeners can expect the sound quality to be higher. The improvements made to the equipment are both beneficial to current, and future students. WCLH hopes it will take them through their next 40 years.
Photo Credit: WCLH archives
Indeed, the 40th anniversary of the Wilkes College Listening Habit (what WCLH stands for) will be a memorable one, and certainly it will be a milestone our community will never forget. For what is to come for the future of our radio station, keep it locked.
Alumni Update: Donna Talerico-Beerman, class of 2007 By: Brittany Battista Donna Talerico-Beerman had a long and rather unusual path to get to where she is today. Currently she is the Web Content Editor for Elizabethtown College. But her career path has been full of challenges. She began her B.A. in 1996 in Communication Studies with a concentration in organizational communication. As an undergrad, Talerico-Beerman was an active member of the Wilkes University radio station, WCLH and hosted her own show, Interstate 80 Highway of Hits. While an undergraduate, Donna was hired at Froggy 101. With already working full-time in the field, she decided to focus on that alone for a few years and take a break from being a student. “I was trying to be independent and I spread myself too thin,” Donna mentioned. In her case, it worked out and she finished her degree from Wilkes in 2007. Social media has always come naturally to Donna. After graduating, she worked in the Admissions Department at a technical school. She thought of the benefits of attracting students using social media before it was popular. Next, she worked with Solid Cactus, a website design company that builds Page 4
Photo Credit: Donna Talerico-Beerman
eCommerce websites for their clients looking to sell items online. Donna worked in both sales and social media and created her own position as Marketing Director. With her skills in social media, she wanted to spread her knowledge to students to help them market themselves. She applied for a teaching position at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public
Communications in Syracuse, NY. She made it to the final round and spent two days in Syracuse interviewing and teaching. Unfortunately, she did not get the job. Because of this event, she urges students to not dwell upon being turned down. “Don’t get discouraged,” Donna said. “They picked you from the pack for a reason.” Donna also has an MFA in Creative Writing from Wilkes which she earned in 2010. Currently she is working on her MBA in Finance from Elizabethtown College. She feels it will help her to market her ideas and consulting services to administration from a business standpoint. Donna uses her social media skills everyday in her current job as the Web Content Editor for Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, PA. She manages the Facebook and Twitter accounts for the entire campus and loves what she does. “I have so much creativity,” Donna said. “I can build from the ground up.” Looking back on her journey, anyone can see it is not a typical career path. Regardless, it got her where she wanted to go. This is truly inspiring for all students to keep their hopes and their dreams high and to work for what they want.
Com m unication Studies Dep artm ent
April 2014
COM Department has shoes to fill with retiring Dr. Lewis By: Cara Basile
Journalism is one of the concentrations in communication studies. No matter the focus a student has, it is more likely than not that they have had this well-known professor. It will be a sad loss for the department, as Dr. Lewis has decided to retire after this year. For 23 years, Dr. Lewis went back and forth between writing and editing for newspapers and teaching journalism. Dr. Lewis said leaving Wilkes will not be easy considering the support he has from his colleagues. “I really like the people I work with and the students here,” said Dr. Lewis. “The people who are in the department are probably as good as colleagues as any that I’ve had at other places that I’ve taught.” The communication studies professor specializes in journalism, especially here at Wilkes where he teaches a variety of classes, including Basic News Writing, Advanced Reporting, Feature Writing, Magazine Writing, Public Speaking, and Visual Rhetoric. Dr. Lewis said his favorite class to teach was probably the Advance or Feature Writing classes. “Generally, with the advanced writing classes you get people who prefer to be in there and you’re also going to be working on stories that are a little bit more interesting both for me as an instructor, but also for them to write,” said Dr. Lewis. Since he came to Wilkes in 2010, Dr. Lewis has been the faculty advisor and mentor for our campus newspaper, The Beacon. “Under his leadership, The
Beacon has evolved, both in the quality of writing and its presence online,” said his colleague Dr. Jane Elmes-Crahall. “Our campus newspaper is widely respected, having received many awards for excellence in writing from SPJ, Keystone Press and ACP. Loran devoted incredible time to growing the paper into an excellent news source—both in traditional and online formats,” she added. James Jaskolka-Butler, current assistant Lifetime, Arts and Entertainment editor realizes that Dr. Lewis has helped the staff of The Beacon “more than we can ever thank him for.” Jaskolka recalls “countless times when he shared his wisdom, experience and his own unique brand of humor with us. No one can replace Dr. Lewis.” Ashley Evert, next year’s Beacon Managing Editor recalls Dr. Lewis’ encyclopedic knowledge of grammar and style. “When we copy edit on Sundays, I’ll yell out a question on AP style and Dr. Lewis always comes back with an answer immediately,” said Ashley. His delivery is quiet and understated, so you only catch his jokes if you are listening,” she added. Like James and Ashley, many Beacon staff members enjoy his dry sense of humor. On their recent trip to New York City for the Collegiate Media Association Conference, Beacon photographer Rasha Shaker admits, “Dr. Lewis had me in stiches with his dry, dark sense of humor.” She also feels his laid-back manner makes students comfortable in speaking with him or asking questions. Dr. Lewis has also helped the Wilkes
chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists become very active, enabling
Photo Credit: Beacon Archives
our students to attend both regional and national conventions. He has also been the coordinator for the annual Tom Bigler Journalism Conference since 2011. Known for being on campus seven days a week throughout the academic year, it wasn’t a surprise to learn that his future plans include“sleeping a lot.” “I might get back into newspapers or work for some organization that does that,” said Dr. Lewis. “I’d kind of like to get back into where I’m actually doing the work, instead of showing other people what to do, I kind of miss that.” We wish Dr. Lewis the best as he leaves his unique marks on Wilkes, especially on the communication studies department.
Renee Loftus’s Retirement Felt by Students and Faculty By: Rasha Shaker
Renee Loftus’ dedication and compassion will always be remembered by the Communication Studies department. By the end of the semester, Renee Loftus will be retiring as the General Manager of WCLH. Members of WCLH, both students and faculty alike will miss her upbeat attitude and her passion to aid her students. Rebecca Filipski, sophomore Communication Studies major, is one of many students who will miss her. “I am going to miss her encouragement and telling us to follow our dreams,” Rebecca
said. “She believed in everyone and made everyone stay positive.” Production Director Nick Durdan said that he cannot even begin to say how much he will miss Renee because it cannot be said in words alone. Zach Benedict, WCLH’s newest on air personality, expresses what he’ll miss most Renee. “I will miss her cheerful smile and laugh. She’s funny, passionate about radio, and overall a great person.” Dr. Mark Stine, department Chair, expressed that it had been a true pleasure working with Renee. “She has truly a great background in radio that she brings to the
job,” Dr. Stine said. Though Dr. Stine is the current faculty advisor for WCLH, he gives credit to Renee for being a hands-on manager for 11 years. “In addition to that, she has a fantastic rapport with the students and it’s apparent that she loves working with the students,” he added. Whether it is her cheerful demeanor, her warm smile or her ability to connect with all of her students, Renee Loftus has set the bar high for the next General Manager of WCLH. From us to you, Renee, we will miss you. We wish you a happy retirement! Page 5
Com m unication Studies Dep artm ent
April 2014
Talent Show Appears on Wilkes University Television By: Dominick Costantino Students in the Advanced Video Production class have been working hard over the last couple of months on their project. The class decided to do a talent show seeking the best talent on the Wilkes University campus as well as the local community. The four-part series is titled “What It Takes.” The goal of the show was to find somebody who has “What It Takes” to make it in their specific entertainment field. First, the class had to find the talent to be on the show. Zobaida Azad, director of the show and senior Communication Studies major, said finding talent was a challenge. “It was difficult at first to find people who were interested in coming on the show,” she said. “It was definitely a time commitment for them since the show would be every Wednesday for four weeks in a row. However, we were able to find five individuals who were willing to participate.”
Episode one focused on the auditions. Although five of the “auditionees” were good enough to make it onto episode two, there were some who were eliminated. Some of the bad auditions included jugglers, comedians, singers, dancers, beat boxers and much more. Markeata White, host of the show and talent manager, really enjoyed the bad auditions. “The bad auditions brought a lot of life to the show,” she said. “It was the humor that was needed to make this like a real talent competition. All of us were laughing so hard behind the scenes at these auditions.” There were three judges who gave feedback weekly and chose who would advance to the next round. The judges included Jaleel Sterling, senior Business Management major, Renee Loftus, professor and WCLH advisor, and Jared Powell, sophomore Communication Studies major. While Jaleel and Jared provided a
Photo Credit: Zobaida Azad
lot of comedy and encouraging feedback, Renee was the “Simon Cowell” of the judging panel. “All of our judges did such a great job,” said Azad. “They balanced each other out so well and really added so much to the show. The best part was when they disagreed and got into heated arguments.” To see the exciting four-part series, check the Wilkes University Television program guide in The Beacon.
Alumni Update: Sara Cosgrove, class of 2012 By: Frank Passalacqua From being a Colonel for four years to becoming a Tiger, 2012 graduate Sara Cosgrove now works full-time at Princeton University. During her time at Wilkes, Sara took full advantage of her surrounding possibilities, all of which have helped her reach where she is today. Her freshman year, Sara joined Wilkes World, today known as Wilkes Now, and stayed on staff to claim the director position her senior year. Sara also joined Phonathon her first year, which would later shape her career. “I was a student caller for all of my freshman and sophomore years. I became a student leader within the program and began overseeing the shift and troubleshooting any problems students had,” Sara said. “My sophomore year I was also offered an internship with the Development Office. My eyes were completely opened to a whole new field of work. I found the higher education fundraising field fascinating, from the soliciting of donors, to event planning, to the stewarding and thanking the donors for their time and commitment. I went on to hold two other Page 6
internships within the Development Office. Working there throughout my four years at Wilkes really created the foundation of my knowledge and love of higher education fundraising,” explained Cosgrove. Once Sara realized that public relations was something she wanted to focus in, she joined Zebra Communications in her junior year and became an account comanager of the Embrace a Child account and later served as Zebra’s Operations Manager. “Being part of all these different positions within Zebra taught me a great deal about strategic planning,” Sara said. “You always need to determine your end goal, and figure out the steps to take achieve that goal. Zebra showed me how well thought-out plans can lead you to success.” Before landing a position at Princeton, Sara woke at the East Stroudsburg University Foundation. She was the Assistant Director of the Annual Fund where she oversaw and managed their student phonathon program. She was also responsible for their undergraduate awareness program where she would educate current students about the
importance of giving back and supporting their alma mater. After nearly a year at ESU, Sara found her way to New Jersey to pick up where she left off. In her second and current job in higher education at Princeton University, Sara is the Assistant Director of Annual Giving. She manages the student phonathon program, TigerCall, which consists of overseeing 70 student workers. On top of that, Sara also works with the Annual Giving Frontline Staff to coordinate when undergraduates, graduates, and parents of Princeton will be called through TigerCall, to coincide with our overall annual giving calendar. As of now, Sara is in the process of automating Princeton’s phonathon program. Last semester, she came back to Wilkes as a guest speaker in the COM 303: Organizational Communications class to talk about how her field and career choice is molded by organizational communication. “I definitely attribute the success in my career to Wilkes, because they prepared me for all different types of jobs and circumstances. I know for a fact I would not be where I am at Princeton, if it was not for the education I received at Wilkes.”
Com m unication Studies Dep artm ent
April 2014
Communication Studies Well Represented at the WS/GS Conference By: Priscilla Bonilla The Communication Studies Department had 11 students and two faculty members present their scholarship at the Wilkes University and King’s College 2014 Women’s Gender Studies Conference Program on March 20-21. The panels that were presented by students of the Communication Studies Department included a presentation from the COM/WS 202 class, “An Ethnographic Study: Generational Divide or Pathway to Emerging Gender Roles?” The panelists were students Ashley Evert, Amanda Kornak, Justin Topa, Alec Wizar, and Nicole Zukowski. Sophomore Justin Topa said the conference was a tremendous experience. “Through a series of four in-depth interviews, I determined evolutionary changes in gender roles that can be seen across generations. Being able to share what I’ve discovered made the process that much more rewarding.” “The Unrealistic Portrayal of Women in Media,” was presented by seniors Brittany Batista and Laura Preby. Jessica Gorts and junior Integrative Media student,
Ashleigh Crispell, delivered “Intimate Partner Violence.” Four seniors presented their original research on gender and communications including Jake Cochran, Morgan Evans, Christine Lee and Laura Preby. Morgan Evans gave a second presentation on the “Importance of Access to Clean Water.” And, Haley Adam along with partner Katie Hughes, a junior Psychology major, presented on “Forced Domestic Servitude.” Dr. Jane Elmes-Crahall, professor of Communication Studies, co-presented a session on Revolutionary Suffragist Voices Lived in Oratory and Fiction with novelist Laurie Loewenstein. Dr. Mia Briceño, assistant professor of Communication Studies, moderated two sessions, When a Woman’s Body is Not Her Own: Commodification and Control of Women’s Bodies and the Media and the Perpetuation of Gender Stereotypes session, which included the individual research conducted by Cochran, Preby, Evans and Lee. Each student and professor delivered their personal research in their area of expertise or choice of interest. Each presentation had a specific purpose and
goal. Seniors Brittany Batista and Laura Preby chose to present on “The Unrealistic Portrayal of Women in Media.” Battista points out that she enjoyed researching “the negative depictions of women in the media” because it combined two things she said she is “passionate about, women’s rights and broadcasting.” Laura Preby was a conference presenter for the first time and was “really happy” with how it went. “I talked about women in music, and how lyrics through the years have become more misogynistic. I was surprised with the number of questions the audience asked relating to my research,” said Preby. The purpose of the conference is celebrate and honor the achievements of women through research and performances, as well as express the inequality between men and women that is still present today. “Our Department has been very active in the Wilkes Women’s/Gender Studies conferences began in the 1990s. The role of gender equity is vital to all aspects of Communication Studies,” explained Dr. Elmes-Crahall.
Dr. Elmes-Crahall and Shawn Carey Have Research Accepted for Presentation at Conference in Switzerland By: Stephen Dziedziak, Alexandra Paranac, and Brittany Battista Sometimes you get good news that makes you feel great. “When I learned the first research project I ever did was accepted at a conference I was elated,” said junior Communication Studies major, Shawn Carey. In early April Shawn learned that a research project he completed with Dr. Jane Elmes-Crahall, Professor of Communication Studies was accepted for presentation at the Congress of Political Economists conference on Environmental Sustainability in Zurich, Switzerland. Dr. Elmes-Crahall and Carey have been working on their paper, “The Environmental Risks, Economic Growth and Government You Can’t Trust Media Frames in Two Competing Newspapers’ Coverage of Fracking in NEPA,” since January. Shawn and Dr. Elmes-Crahall completed a content analysis of media fram-
ing of “fracking” or hydraulic fracturing of natural gas in coverage by the Citizens’ Voice and Times Leader from November 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014. The idea for the research grew out of a discussion in last fall’s COM 303:Organizational Communication class on the media as a “corporate stakeholder” in social issues, such as energy. For Shawn, it is a personal project. A resident of New Milford, he says that in Susquehanna County “fracking “effects our everyday lives and not enough is known about it.” Both Shawn and Dr. Elmes-Crahall admit they have learned a lot about how the media reports on environmental issues. “I am now interested in continuing work in environmental communication, primarily because Shawn has taught me so much about how fracking has totally changed his community,” explained Dr. Elmes-Crahall. By June 1, their completed paper will be submitted to COPE for inclusion in their
published conference proceedings. Dr. Elmes-Crahall will present the co-authored paper at the COPE Conference in Zurich, Switzerland in July.
Photo Credit: Brittany Battista
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Com m unication Studies Dep artm ent
April 2014
Communication Studies Places Eleven Spring Interns By: Sara Davis
Communication Studies majors at Wilkes University have the opportunity to earn three credits while deciding if they are on the right track for choosing a career for the rest of their life—it’s called an internship. During spring 2014, the Department has placed ten students into internships, allowing them to work with SenArts Films, WBRE/WYOU, ionTV, Etruscan Press, Sun Tan City and the Wilkes University Sports Information Office. “The best part of doing an internship is having the real world experience,” said Shawn Carey, an intern at WBRE. Carey has learned a lot about writing and producing daily television. Senior Christine Lee is also interning at WBRE but works with reporters. While covering a story, one reporter handed the microphone to Christine and told her to do the on-air story as if she was reporting. That experience in front of the camera has given Christine real insight into reporting. William Amos, Zobaida Azad, Laura Preby and Jennifer Villa are also completing television and film focused intern-
ships. Amos and Preby have been working with SenArts Films, the producers of the “Kids for Cash” documentary that premiered back in February. Five other Communication Studies students including Morgan Evans, Tyler Thomas, Anne Yoskoski, Michael Boylan and Frank Passalacqua are completing public relations internships. Drawing from both Communication Studies and English, Anne Yoskowski focuses on copy editing and writing for Etruscan’s web site. Tyler Thomas, also with Etruscan, focuses more on the promotional and public relations tasks. Yoskoski, who is completing her third internship has found the internship
Photo Credit: Morgan Evans
Morgan Evans at her internship at Sun Tan City.
Study Abroad Trip in London Continued from page 1 “Reading about places like Big Ben or Westminster Abbey is one thing, but actually getting to see them – and say you did – is completely different.” Stine echoed the sentiment: “The best part is seeing students experience a completely different culture and city. Watching the enthusiasm on their faces while they see things in person that they’ve only
Photo Credits: Ashley Evert
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previously seen in pictures is a wonderful experience for me.” “The museums, historical sites, culture, communication mediums and various other aspects made the trip exciting and interesting in an educational environment,” said Priscilla Bonilla, junior communication studies major. Students said the trip was beneficial in a personal way, as they were able to learn about themselves when placed in a dramatically different setting. “To experience a completely different culture and to be fully immersed in it showed me that I can be thrown into any situation and handle it,” Kelsey James, a senior communications studies student at King’s College said. “It has helped me to become massively independent and extremely proud of myself.” James also noted that she felt very welcome, even as a King’s student, and made friends with the Wilkes students. Stencavage echoed James’s thoughts: “It gave me the opportunity to have got-
experiences to be invaluable. “I recommend that underclassmen talk to their professors about their interests pertaining to internships,” Yoskoski said. Since fall 2013, our interns are required to complete specific courses before getting credit. Students should begin planning their internships by seeing their advisor in their sophomore or junior year. Dr. Jane Elmes-Crahall, Professor of Communication Studies, explained how internships are often tailored to suit the students’ interests. “We try and place students in a position of interest that will prepare them for a job that they may receive after graduation,” Elmes-Crahall said. “Often times, students receive job offers upon completion of their internships.” Senior Communication Studies student, Brittany Battista, completed an internship working for in promotions with Entercom broadcasting and was hired as an assistant for the Events Director. “After I graduate, I hope to be transferred to Entercom’s Boston location to work full time,” Battista said. “It just goes to show how much of an impact an internship can have on your life.”
ten to know people, from both Wilkes and King’s, who I never would have had I not gone, while also strengthening relationships I had before London,” she said. “If I let fear hold me back, I would have missed out on an opportunity of a lifetime.”