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The Journalist. The Wavelength. T h e R e l ay. News and information for EIU students in the Department of Journalism
December 2015 Vol. 2, No. 2
Portrait EIU
Photography students display work on Fac eb o ok By Elias Albert Portrait EIU is a project started by photojournalism professor Brian Poulter for his students in JOU 3001 to post photographs in the interest of the class. Similar to the popular photo blog known as Humans of New York, Portrait EIU includes photos of people in the Charleston area, as well as a caption about them and their story. Poulter said the project was directly inspired by the successful Humans of New York blog. “I thought it was a great idea from the moment I saw it,” Poulter said. “People all over the country seem to like it too, since it’s become so popular.” Students in the class are assigned to complete eight photo posts with a coinciding caption by the end of the semester. The posts are made on the Portait EIU Facebook page. The page currently has over 400 followers and is constantly growing. A number of posts on the page have resulted in a high amount of popularity and exposure to an audience of thousands, at some points. “It varies depending on the quality of the photo or what the context is,” Poulter said. “Cer-
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This portrait of Liv Link, a senior psychology and Spanish major, was posted on Nov. 8 and has received more than 90 likes on the Portrait EIU Facebook. Photo by Anna Vaughn
News Watch, Hit-Mix students win IBA awards
By Kendra Cwikla The Illinois Broadcasters Association presented several WEIU TV and radio students Silver Dome Awards at Illinois State University on Nov. 13. Derrick Jackson placed first for best television weathercast. Jackson, a senior communications studies and geography major and veteran of the National Guard, has been working at WEIU for three years. Jackson is a weather anchor. He writes news and sports stories, runs production equipment and trains
other students who are interested in broadcast television. Eastern also won second and third place in the best television weathercast category with Braden Harp and WEIU News Watch with credit to Lacey Clifton, respectively. Harp, who graduated in May 2015, had been working with WEIU since summer 2013. Clifton, a senior geography major, has been working with WEIU since spring 2013.
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Derrick Jackson and Lacey Clifton, winners of IBA awards, prepare for their nightly newscast on Nov. 17. Photo by Kendra Cwikla
Senior journalism and political science major Shirmeen Ahmad received a Student Laureate Medallion, along with a $1,000 educational grant and a certificate of achievement at the Student Laureate Convocation Nov. 7 at the Old State Capitol in Springfield. The Lincoln Academy was established more than 50 years ago to honor distinguished citizens with the state’s highest award, the Order of Lincoln. Journalism professor Lola Burnham received this honor when she was a senior as well. The Lincoln Academy’s Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Awards are presented for excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities to seniors from each of the state’s four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities, and one student from the community colleges in Illinois. In the department, Ahmad is also a copy editor for the Warbler and an officer of the Society for Collegiate Journalists.
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Lights, camera, action! 2 WEIU students travel to Hollywood to assist filming new LeVeck horror movie By Alex Chan To help film for a Lionsgate producer in Los Angeles is an opportunity any videographer would love to have. Two WEIU students recently had the opportunity to fly out and help with the production of a short horror film called “The Cleansing Hour.” Nathan Page, senior journalism major, and Kole Rushmore, senior communication studies major, were in Los Angeles Nov. 3 -7 to help Mattoon native Damien LeVeck film. Professor Fred Peralta sent out an email to students about the opportunity and received immediate responses from both Page and Rushmore. Both students were able to film behind-the-scenes footage for the production, help set up and move props and stand in for actors when needed. The first day started at 4:45 a.m. and went until around 11 p.m. Initially Page and Rushmore were very excited, but ultimately were just tired by the second day. The second day of filming finished early and gave the students the chance to explore the area. Unfortunately, the car lent to them by director Leveck broke down. They said they tried
to call AAA, but were told it would be an hour and half before help would arrive. Luckily they received a ride from a fellow set member and went to dinner. Soon they ran into car troubles again. They said the set member’s vehicle had difficulty starting and eventually could only go up to 10 mph. Page and Rushmore said they eventually arrived back at their hotel once they called an Uber driver. The third day of filming finished around 9 p.m. and included cleaning up the entire warehouse used for filming afterwards. It took until 1 a.m. for clean up to finish and left Page and Rushmore covered in dirt and grime from the set and props. The last day of filming started later at noon, but didn’t wrap up until 1 a.m. The two worked more than 50 hours in just four days of production. LeVeck has edited and produced for ABC Family, Fox, VH1, MTV, TBS, OWN, TruTV, The Weather Chanel, and more. Page and Rushmore are not strangers to LeVeck as they had the opportunity last January to help film for one of his documentaries about a contractor that guaranteed completion in two days for projects. “The Cleaning Hour” is
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LeVeck’s latest short film about the world’s only live exorcism webcast, which stars Sam Jaeger from “Parenthood,” and Heather Morris from “Glee.” LeVeck is hoping that a major film company for feature film adaptation picks up the project. Page and Rushmore said they would be invited back to production to continue filming if it is picked up. Page said that the best part of the experience was the long hours and little sleep. It was easy for him to work because everyone around him was working hard all the time. There was never a dull moment for him, which made the time go by fast. Page and Rushmore were all around the set working if they were not filming. Rushmore said his favorite scene from the film was when actress Heather Morris had to scream at the top of her lungs, which gave the cast and crew goosebumps. Page said he enjoyed meeting and working with everyone. He said that everyone treated them with respect, even though they were the youngest ones out there. Page said this opportunity would not have come if it were not for the work they had done before.
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Senior journalism major Debby Hernandez listens to EIU Alumnus Richard Fox as he spoke to members of The Agency and Parkland College’s AMP on Oct. 22. Photo by Liz Viall
PR professional visits journalism department By Ashley Jordan Richard Fox, an Eastern alum of ’71, and members of AMP (Applied Media Promotions) of Parkland College, visited the journalism department and The Agency Oct.22. Fox came to Eastern to visit students and faculty and talk about his work as a public relations practitioner. AMP is a group, much like The Agency, and members came to discuss what they do as an organization, attend Fox’s discussion and learn how The Agency operates. Students who are interested in writing, event planning, graphic design and web development can join AMP to gain skills in the public relations field. An organization such as AMP or The Agency provides more knowledge and hands-on activities than the classroom. AMP’s adviser Kendra McClure said she truly appreciated Fox’s discussion. “Richard Fox gave the students excellent insight into the field of public relations,” she said. Fox talked about his time as PR practitioner and the importance of keeping a balance between work and interests outside of the career. He encouraged questions and provided a group activity. The Agency’s social media chair, Lexi Stickel, said she truly enjoyed Fox’s visit. “I am happy to be able to talk to and connect with people that are or have been in the career I want to pursue,” Stickel said. Stickel said Fox gave
the members of AMP and The Agency an activity of thinking about words that begin with the letter “p” that describe a person in the public relations field. “I would choose perseverance, professionalism, and patience,” she said. McClure was happy to see the members of AMP connect between what they are doing now in their organization and what they will be doing in their future career. “It was wonderful for them to have the opportunity to see how the work they’re doing now is preparing them for the future,” she said. AMP students are currently creating a record label and taking clients to promote their music and career. Stickel said the creation of a record label is an awesome idea and the students of AMP will definitely gain experience on a whole new level of public relations. AMP takes on different projects and has a process for selecting them. The group will work with students, faculty, people associated with Parkland College and non-profit organizations in the area. “If someone is interested in hiring AMP to complete a promotional project, the first step is to contact us for a project proposal form,” McClure said. “After the proposal is submitted, we review it to determine if it’s a good fit for AMP. Preference is given to proposals that encourage students to think strategically.”
DECEMBER 2015
Media Fest talks student media By Lexi Stickel Print and broadcast journalism students joined together to meet imcoming journmalism majors and show them the opportunities the journalism department offers at the second annual Media Fest. Media Fest was held on Sept. 17. There were many groups from student media there such as The Daily Eastern News, The Verge, News Watch, Hit-Mix, Society of Collegiate Journalists, PRSSA, the Wabler and The Agency. Media Fest is hosted by The Agency and the journalism department to attract new students to get involved with student media. This year Media Fest included tables for all the media groups to explain and show students examples of what they do. Also, there was a freshman meet and greet before Media Fest, which got the freshman journalism students to talk and get to know each other as well as the faculty. After students had the opportunity to meet with student media, five students discussed their outside experience during an internship panel. Students were able to ask those who had internships questions. Ashley Jordan, the business manager for the Agency, said Media Fest has been going on for the last two years. “I believe that if The Agency continues to work hard, we will keep making Media Fest better,” she said. Sean Hastings, the sports editor for The Daily Eastern News and Warbler, said Media Fest really helps students get involved. “I think we should put on Media Fest because it is the easiest way to
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MediaFest included an internship panel. Panelists, left to right, were Vanessa Perez, Shauna DeLacey, Danielle Tadlock, Roberto Hodge and Megan Ivey . Far left, Katelyn Siegert, SCJ, and Alex Chan, Agency director, were moderators. Photo by Liz Viall get people to come out,” he said. “If people are shy, they may not go out of their way to walk into The DEN, a yearbook meeting or any other student media organization. With Media Fest, everything is really kind of laid back and people can step out of their comfort zone.” Jordan said the event helps underclassmen see all Student Publication organizations at once. “Media Fest helps our underclassmen reach out and tell us what they are interested in and how they feel about each media group,” she
said. “We can then help them get into every group they are interested in.” Hastings said that working the booths is one of his favorite parts about Media Fest. “Working the booths is awesome because it gives me a great feeling knowing that people are interested in getting involved with The DEN or Warbler,” Hastings said. Meeting people is one of the biggest things that will help students get involved, Hastings said. Knowing people is something that makes
things much easier when working for any publication, he said. Jordan said Media Fest is a great event that brings all the student media groups together to help our underclassmen. “This year Media Fest did a really good job at getting more people to come out and getting more underclassmen involved,” she said. “All of the student media groups are always looking for more students to get involved and I believe that Media Fest helps with getting people involved so much.”
Advanced Reporting SCJ sells donated books students take on News Engagement Day By Mariah Scott Students enrolled in Advanced Reporting took on News Engagement Day to help inform other students on Eastern’s campus about what is going on in the news. Elizabeth Viall, a professor of the journalism department at Eastern and the head of the participatory journalism interest group at AEJMC, said it is important to get students engaged as soon as possible so it can become a habit for life. Viall participated in News Engagement Day this year and included her Advanced Reporting class to help contribute. Students used their class time to go around campus and share news stories with other students in order to see what stories could be shared back with them. This would show them if college students were paying attention to what is happening around them in the world, and not just headlines but the actual story in details. The class was broken into smaller groups and was asked to talk to as many students as they could within two hours and to record their findings. As a whole, the class spoke to about 50 different students and re-
ceived interesting results. “Not a lot of people knew really anything about what was going on at a campus level, state level, even national,” said Megan Ivey, a junior journalism major. She was one of several students to go out and share news with others. She said she found it pretty alarming because many students were not able to explain campus news, or even events that were going on if it had nothing to do with them or an organization they were a part of. The NewsEngagement.org website quoted a recent study done by the Pew Research Center. The survey studied news consumption, and found that 29 percent if young adults could be labeled as “newsless.” Many other universities celebrated the day as well. The mission nationally was to try to change the statistic about young adults and news. According to the Participatiory Journalism Interest Group Tumblr page, schools such as SIUE and Washington and Lee University participated.
This year the Society for Collegiate Journalists held a book sale where members sold books donated by John Ryan and other past professors. Danielle Tadlock, president of SCJ, said the books ranged from law to PR. “We had a lot of different types of books,” she said. SCJ made $20, selling paperbacks for 10 cents and hard covers for 25 cents. “The first day I didn’t grab all of the books but we sold quite a few. The next day Dr. Renaud informed me that there were more in the closet and we brought them all out, there were 6-7 bins full of books total,” she said. The remaining books will be for sale in Buzzard during the Illinois HIgh School Association competition April 29, 2016.
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Congratulations, journalism seniors Two seniors reflect on college experiences and anticipate the future By A.J. Seidler Senior journalism majors Roberto Hodge and Katelyn Siegert will graduate in December. Hodge said he hopes to move back near his hometown of Minneapolis, Minn., after graduation. “The state is cooler. That sounds really biased, but the state is cooler, more stable economy,” Hodge said. Hodge transferred to Eastern in fall 2012. He said he mainly wrote for the Fresh!, a publication about diverse groups of people in Eastern. Hodge became the multicultural editor of The Daily Eastern News in the fall 2014, and is currently the news editor for the same publication.
Hodge said he experienced funny moments with his friends from Eastern. One in particular is when he visited Philadelphia as a part of the College Media Association national conference with his classmates. During this time Hodge saw the Rocky steps, the Love statue and an unexpected presence on his ride back. “I saw, I don’t know if anybody else did, but I saw on our way back to Illinois a horse and buggy because we were in the Amish country so that was pretty fun,” Hodge said. Hodge said he is ecstatic to graduate and enter the workforce, but also wants to relax.
“I want to just chillax for a second,” Hodge said. “I just want to lay in my bed with my dog for a little bit and be like ‘Ok I graduated’.” Siegert is currently the managing editor of The DEN and will have a job immediately after graduation. She was hired as a copy editor for the Pantograph in Bloomington. She said she is interested in print design or online journalism. “I know a lot of copy editors and people on desk have transitioned into more of an online format,” Siegert said. Siegert said she could recall a memorable night at the newsroom in which she had to stay up all night due to “news-related happenings.”
“One night I stayed here (the newsroom) to do some homework because I was giving our online producer a ride home that night,” Siegert said. “But he was staying to take photos of the press run but the press doesn’t run until late at night and by the time I got home it was about 3:30, so I thought ‘I probably shouldn’t even go to bed before our meeting at 8.’” Siegert said she will miss the people and how close everything is, including the buildings, the most. “I was just thinking the other day how cool it is I can just walk into the quad and run into people I know and just like ‘Hey, how are you?’ and just catch up,” Siegert said.
Commencement for the College of Arts and Humanities at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 19 Katelyn Siegert
Roberto Hodge
Student journalist meets state, university leaders Cassie Buchman interviews former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar By Debby Hernandez Cassie Buchman, administration editor for The Daily Eastern News, did not expect to meet a former governor, especially with such a short notice. Buchman was preparing to cover a speech as part of the Edgar series, which is named after former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar. As she prepared to cover a speech by David Yepsen, a former political writer, her adviser, Lola Burnham, approached her. Burnham informed her that Edgar would be present at the speech. Buchman said Edgar had recently spoken to the State Journal-Register about his feelings toward Governor Rauner’s static budget, and was planning to speak to him on the subject. Shortly after, Buchman was informed of Edgar’s arrival. She then headed to a pre-speech meet and greet of Yepsen in the Edgar Room of the Booth Library. “The room was full of political science and journalism majors. I went into the room and saw my adviser and sat by (her),” she said. “I didn’t recognize Edgar at first because I have never seen him before, but then Brian Poulter (journalism professor) leaned over to me and was like, ‘that’s the guy.’” Before she could speak to him,
former Governor Edgar had exited the room. “That’s when I just followed him out of the library,” she said. “I said, ‘Excuse me sir! You’re Governor Edgar, right?’” After receiving a response, Buchman stood by the hallway of the second floor of the Booth Library between two window display cases, and began conducting her interview. “I started off with some soft questions like, ‘How do you feel about being back at Eastern?’ and then I asked him what I really wanted to know,” she said. Buchman asked Edgar about his feelings on the state budget. “I asked if he was disappointed at Rauner at all for not getting it passed because he had given advice…and he also campaigned for Rauner,” she said. She said Edgar responded politely and seemed comfortable with the subject. “He was very articulate.” she said. “I don’t think he was exactly thrilled to be answering because I think he has been answering questions of the same nature a lot.” She said conducting an interview on the spot made her feel nervous. “It was a bit nerve-wracking going into that situation knowing he
might not want to answer,” she said. ““It was scary but rewarding at the same time.” However, this was not her first time interviewing a prominent political figure. She had met former Mayor Larry Rennels as city editor of The DEN in the spring. “I first met him at a City Council meeting,” she said. “Charleston is a small town so there is more accessibility to the mayor and other public officials than you might not get in Chicago.” Buchman said she introduced herself to the former mayor after receiving a piece of advice from Burnham. “Lola told me when you’re new to covering something you need to ‘put yourself at the mercy of your sources,’” she said. As the administration editor she gets to interact with one of the most prominent people at Eastern, President David Glassman. Buchman said she received a good impression of the president. “I think he is doing the best he can with a terrible situation,” she said, referring to the budget crises in the state. “I definitely understand he has to be careful with what he says… because his job is protecting the university.” She said overall interviewing
prominent figures as a student could make one feel uneasy. “It is always nerve wrecking to talk to an official or an administrator because yes, we are journalists, but we are also students,” she said. Buchman said being a journalist while also being a student requires keeping a balance and establishing a relationship with sources. “As a journalist, you have to see them in their bad days as well as their good days,” she said. “Unlike other students who probably only see them at (events such as) Prowlin’ with the Prez, you are seeing them when you have to ask tough questions too.” Buchman said it is important to remember that people such as Glassman are regular people. “He is not just a figure, like a person you see in a pamphlet,” she said. “He is a person who has to make tough decisions and has to carry the weight of the university; other administrators (have to) as well.” Buchman said she enjoyed covering community news as city editor and now enjoys doing the administration beat. “For me it’s not only about meeting people, so much as it is about getting the right information from the right people, and putting that information out there,” she said.
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DECEMBER 2015
Journalism alumni return to Eastern EIU journalism alums and community members continue to give their time to speak to journalism students. Alumnus Richard Fox, who worked for decades in health communication in the Philadelphia area, spoke to students of The Agency, the student-run public relations firm at EIU, as well as AMP, the student-run media production group at Parkland College. He visited campus Oct. 22 in part to accept an award from the EIU Foundation. Fox is one of the founders of the Fox-Thornburgh speaker series in the journalism department. Dan Woike, a 2005 graduate of the journalism program and now a sports reporter for the Orange County Register who covers the LA Clippers, spoke to students during a September 16-18 visit. Woike was a Fox-Thornburgh speaker. Rick Kambic, a 2009 graduate, spoke to students Nov. 2. Kambic reports for the Pioneer Press in the Chicago area. He told students about his work covering communities, including Mundelein, Ill., and working on-the-go from libraries and coffee shops. Political journalist and Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Director David Yepsen spoke to ethics students in the department Oct. 22. Lt. Brad Oyer of the Charleston Police Department and Stan Metzger, chair of the Coles County Board, both talked to students about public affairs reporting in November.
Dan Woike, who now covers the LA Clippers for the Orange County Register, talks to sports staffers at The DEN during his visit to campus. Photo by Roberto Hodge
Rick Kambic, back row far right, came to Eastern to speak to an advanced reporting class on Nov. 2. Kambic, a 2009 graduate, works for the Pioneer Press, a newspaper based in the Chicago area. Photo by Sally Renaud
J-students take CMA awards
Student Publications students and professors went to the Associated Collegiate Press/ College Media Association’s national fall conference in Austin, Texas Oct. 28-31. Students represented The Daily Eastern News and the Warbler. The ACP/CMA conference is the largest meeting grounds for student journalists. Students go to sessions held by other advisers as well as professionals in the field. There were sessions for every aspect of journalism, including writing, editing, photography, design, yearbook, leadership, ethics and more. Four professors and 10 students traveled for 14 hours and nearly 1,000 miles to get to Austin. The professors included Sally Renaud, department chair; Lola Burnham, adviser of The Daily Eastern News; Joe Gisondi, Warbler adviser, and John Ryan, retired professor. The students who attended were Cassie Buchman,sophomore and administration editor for The DEN; Mackenzie Freund, junior and city editor for The DEN; Sydney Edwards, freshman and copy editor for The DEN; Sean Hastings, sophomore and assistant sports editor for The DEN and sports editor for the Warbler; Jason Howell, senior and online editor for The DEN, Megan Ivey, junior and managing editor for the Warbler; Stephanie Markham, senior and EIC of The DEN , Lauren McQueen, junior and copy editor for The DEN and the Warbler; and Bob Reynolds, senior and sports
editor for The DEN. The convention also hosts ceremonies for the Pinnacle Design Awards and the ACP/CMA Best of Awards. The Warbler Yearbook placed in each of the ceremonies. The Warbler placed third for the spread on the 2014 Spring Concert for Thompson Square in the category “Best Entertainment Spread” for the Design Pinnacle Awards, and placed third in the ACP/CMA Best of Show in the yearbook category of 1-299 pages. James Tidwell, former department chair, and Ryan each received awards for their acheivements in Journalism. Tidwell was remembered through the Terry Vander Heyden Golden Leaf Memorial award. Ryan received a lifetime membership. Along with the sessions and awards, both publications completed a round table critique session. “Our critique adviser said we need to take more risks with design, like more interesting sports headlines and more feature layouts on page one.” Markham said. “I found it very helpful. We’ve done some of the things she suggested.” While not in sessions, the students spent time exploring the city. “It was awesome exploring the city,” Buchman said. “I live in the suburbs of Chicago, so it was cool to get the feel of Austin. The atmosphere was more laid back.”
Jason Howell captures Austin’s famous bats leaving the Congress Avenue Bridge Oct. 30. Photo by Megan Ivey
Lauren McQueen and Sydney Edwards sightsee near Austin’s Visting Center Oct. 30. Photo by Megan Ivey
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Portrait EIU, continued from page 1
Daniela Cicio, a junior kinesiology and sports studies student, sits outside her home across from Old Main. Photo by Morgan Murray
tain posts have led to huge spikes in popularity.” Poulter said the point of the project is to give his students a chance to get some additional practice that a classroom setting alone does not allow for. He said going out and talking to people, which in most cases are complete strangers, is valuable to all aspiring journalists, not just photographers. “Journalism is about talking to people,” Poulter said. “I know it’s tough at first, but once you get a strategy for meeting and talking to people, it becomes easy.” Poulter said the project also benefits the community that gets involved by attracting so much attention and giving people a chance to express themselves. One example is a post from Nov. 8 that was a portrait of a student who
lost her grandmother eight months prior. She spoke on this and the memories that she has of her grandmother. The post also includes a brief biography of her. This post has received over 90 likes and has led to large number of views, which then leads to more exposure for the blog. Poulter said he finds it interesting how certain posts will gain more popularity than others. “I’ll see a photo get a ton of attention and another, equally qualified photo, will get a fraction of the exposure,” Poulter said. “We try to talk about what makes a photo so popular just to see what makes people react.” Photojournalism is a course offered each fall semester. Poulter has implemented Portrait EIU into the coursework for two years.
Catching the moment: come early, stay late Photo advice from former Warbler editor Danny Damiani By Danny Damiani As a photojournalist, I’m always on the hunt for candid moments. Photographers are constantly trying to catch fleeting glimpses into the lives of people around them. When it comes to any assignment a photographer is sent to — whether it’s a sporting event, music recital, school gathering, or a few hours spent documenting a family — there are usually plenty of candid moments. I’ve found that some of my favorite images come from before the scheduled start of my assignment or after it has finished. There’s been a phrase that has stuck with me ever since I heard it during my first few weeks in college. Sitting in an auditorium filled with other student journalists, a professor told those walking in on time, “If you’re not 10 minutes early, you’re late.” I’ve carried that idea with me and found that it pays off and not always in the ways I’ve expected. Having the time to take in the atmosphere of a scene without being rushed, catching the final moments of dying light coming through a stained glass window, being present for last-minute preparations or heartfelt good lucks before a big event, and, of course, not missing the assignment altogether because it started early are all things that get constantly added to my reasons for arriving to assignments early. The same goes for hanging around a little while longer after the dust has settled. Recently, I spent some time photographing a reading of “Where the Wild Things Are” at The Building for Kids Children’s Museum that included a real-life Wild Thing with a head the size of a large yoga ball. Needless to say the children were in awe, but the moment I was looking for didn’t happen until the story was over, parents had taken photos
and crafts had been made. As the Wild Thing shuffled out of the room, a young girl in the corner peeked out from behind her homemade mask to take a final look. That’s the moment I had been waiting for and all I had to do was be there to catch it. Danny Damiani is a photojournalist with Post-Crescent Media and a 2013 journalism graduate of EIU.
Students win broadcast awards continued from page 1
The News Watch crew works behind the scenes as Derrick Jackson, recipient of the first place Silver Dome Award for his weather program, goes on the air. Photo by Kendra Cwikla
Eastern also won second place in the best radio station promotion category, with credit going to Jesse Guinn, a junior mass communications major, for a Hit-Mix variety promo. Guinn has been at WEIU since fall 2014 and is currently a SCJ officer. Eastern was also nominated in the Best T.V. longform programming category, with credit going to Michael Moy, a senior communication major and 2015 alum, for his program “The Proposal.” Kelly Runyon, WEIU news director, said the program lost six members last spring after they graduated, but they they have gained 15 new students who have been training since the beginning of the fall semester.