2011 mass media messenger
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Here is the 2011 Mass Media Messenger.TRANSCRIPT
2011
Mass Media Messenger
2011
Menzie’s wordKathy Menzie
Media chair: Kathy Menzie has been the department chair since 2010. Her and department faculty are excited to see changes occur within the mass media department. Photo by Rob Burkett
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“It will be exciting to see where the department goes in the future...,” said Menzie.
IT SEEMS that each year, the mass media department grows and changes. This year has seen huge changes, as we have completely changed our curriculum. The changes have been five years com-ing. As I said in last year’s Mass Media Messenger, it did take this year for all the changes to make their way through the university. But we finally have ap-proval from all the people and groups we need and are ready to start teaching the new classes. We’ve changed nearly every class in some way, so if you see one of our new schedules, you won’t recog-nize many of our previous class names. It’s been another good year for fac-ulty. Charles Cranston finished his new-est movie, “High Value.” With an intrigu-ing concept about water shortages, the film is set in the future. I hope you have an opportunity to catch this film. We also have some new space across from our editing lab and we’ll be getting new equipment this summer. So look for some great changes in what we’re able to offer in the film and video area. Maria Stover had a book chapter pub-lished on reality television in Bulgaria. The book chapter is in an edited volume on international reality television by Amir Hetstroni. She was able to gather a great deal of information during her Sweet Sabbatical granted last summer. She looked at countries in Eastern Eu-rope and the cultural differences in the adoption of the reality television format. Regina Cassell and Maria really were world travelers this year, as they took 19 students to the International Media Seminar held in Paris, France during spring break. What a great opportunity! This has been one of the highlights of the department for the year. It is a pro-gram we hope to continue in the future. Regina has also been busy transform-ing Student Publications into Student Media, which will incorporate print, online, video and audio productions. Frank Chorba was awarded the Da-vid M. Sokol Area Chair Award for 2011 from the Popular Culture Asso-ciation. He received a plaque at a spe-cial ceremony in San Antonio. Frank
continues to work on his huge project of putting his hometown’s (Follansbee, W. V.) story online.
JaeYoon Park, our newest faculty member, was kept busy this year learn-ing all the new things about Wash-burn and learning the cameras and other equipment we have. She is help-ing to expand our offerings in film. And I traveled to Egypt last year. It’s a good thing it was last year, as the trip probably wouldn’t be possible this year. It was very cool to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx and to cruise down the Nile. With Ginny Falk’s retirement, we hired a new secretary. Tara Wallace has been a great addition to our staff. We have re-ally tested her as she had to figure out how to manage all our course changes. We continue to work with great ad-juncts. Phil Grecian, Jim Hollis and Mike Merriam have been with us for years. To the great experience they bring, we’ve added Jim Allen, Stacy Geier, Matt Tidwell, Ginger Park, Lisa Coble-Kings, Eugene Williams and Beth Davis. What is exciting about hiring Beth is that she graduated from our program in 2005, then went on to get her master’s degree in journalism at the University of Kansas.
Our alumni are also a part of what makes this department great, as we’ve had many come back and talk to classes or help with projects. It is wonderful to see many of our graduates remain in Topeka and begin to revitalize the offer-ings for young professionals in the city. As we finish another great year, we are sad to see our graduates go, but happy to welcome new faces to the department. It will be exciting to see where the department goes in the fu-ture as we all become comfortable with our new classes and celebrate even more accomplishments. We’re eagerly looking forward to the future!
02 Menzie’s Word
04 Marsh finds niche
05 Live from Top City
06 Wallace new to media crew
07 Film guru guides students
08 Merriment brings in cash for lab
10 Alumna purses passion
11 Student strives to achieve
12 Spring break in Paris
14 Alumna dreams big; New lab helps students
15 Sports crew captures action
16 Mass Media Banquet
18 Grecian production earns Emmy
19 Professor shoots in hills 20 Media Alumni Class Notes
22 Media Graduates
23 AAFT partners with Ad Club
contents ContributorsStudents in the Mass Media Publication Edit & Design Class produced the 2011 Messenger under the direction of instructor Regina Cassell.
Managing EditorJillian Lira
Messenger StaffRob BurkettJeff DaileyLauren EckertBrandi GannonKate HampsonRick PetersonXuejing RanJosh RouseEmily Scott
Contributing PhotographersMike GoehringAshley ShepardMaria Stover
Contributing Writers Regina BuddenWhitney JonesSelby RenkMaria SigalaJennie Loucks
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AFTER GRADUATION, some Washburn University students plan to leave Topeka. Shalyn Marsh, on the other hand, wants you to visit Topeka.
Marsh, who graduated in May 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in media writing and publishing, is now the communication and marketing manager at Visit Topeka Inc., the city’s convention and visitors’ bureau.
“I was really excited when I got hired at Visit Topeka,” said Marsh. “I had been trying to prepare myself to take a job I wouldn’t enjoy, but instead I found a position where I can keep doing the things I enjoy, while learning new skills and promoting Topeka all at the same time.”
Marsh began at Visit Topeka in October 2009 after working an unpaid summer internship with the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. When she began her part-time duties with Visit Topeka, she was also working at the Super 8 Motel at Forbes Landing, where she had worked since moving to Topeka from Holcomb, Kan., in 2006.
“I spent the last couple of months working the overnight shift, so I was working days at Visit Topeka, Monday through Wednesday, and nights at the hotel, Wednesday through Sunday,” said Marsh. “Talk about exhausting. I was really excited when I made the transition to full time at Visit Topeka. They had plenty of work for me, but they could only afford to hire me full time with their 2010 budget.”
Marsh gained a majority of her experience working for the Kaw Yearbook. She was a staff writer for the 2007-08 yearbook before becoming editor-in-chief of the 2008-09 yearbook.
“Working in student publications helped me tremendously,” said Marsh. “Having lots of projects going at the same time, juggling deadlines and working with practically no budget is a good way to prepare for working for a small company or non-profit.”
Since joining Visit Topeka, Marsh
has earned several marketing awards from the Travel Industry Association of Kansas’ annual conference, held each October. Her visitors’ guide brochure won the Visitors’ Guide Award, and the Visit Topeka desktop calendar she made won the Tourism/Group Marketing Promotion Award for both overall and division.
She also won a Convention Marketing Promotion Award for her work on a convention profile sheet and a Community Awareness Campaign Award for the Topeka Lodging Association and Visit Topeka Inc. Annual Banquet. Most recently, however, she was nominated as a 2011 Headline Award Top 10 nominee by the Topeka Association for Women in Communications.
“I am really honored to have been nominated by my supervisor, and I’m excited to be chosen for the top 10,” said Marsh.
As editor-in-chief for the Kaw, Marsh worked with Kori Reist, who became editor-in-chief after Marsh
graduated.“My favorite part of working with
Shalyn was having a friend,” said Reist. “She pretty much convinced me to come back to school. We went to high school together and she knew I was new to Topeka and that I was considering Washburn. She gave me a call and asked if I wanted to work for her on the yearbook. Not only did we kick ass as the yearbook’s dynamic duo, but we had a good time doing it.”
Marsh said she misses some aspects of school, like winter break and having free time during the middle of the day. However, she loves her job.
“I feel lucky that I found a job I really enjoy in Topeka,” said Marsh. “I love having the freedom to take on new projects and figure out how we can complete them, while using the skills I learned at Washburn. I hope the mass media department continues to grow and expand its scope of teaching, as converging media has rapidly changed the way we use media and technology.”
Marsh finds niche
Go Visit Topeka: Graduate Shalyn Marsh began working at Visit Topeka Inc. in 2009. She is currently the communication and marketing manager. Photo by Josh Rouse
Josh Rouse
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Marsh finds niche Kate Hampson
ON NOV. 5, 2010 Washburn University Ad Club hosted Ad Camp 2010 with the help of the Topeka chapter of American Advertising Federation.
Students were given the opportunity to attend forum discussion sessions led by local media professionals. The day lasted from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Bradbury Thompson Alumni Center.
Angie Marquart, educational chair for AAFT, wanted to provide students the opportunity to interact with local professionals.
“This gave students a great opportunity to hear about what the industry has to offer from the industries top local professionals,” said Marquart.
Marquart found the day to be educational and helpful.
“The entire event was interesting and beneficial. Students were able to listen to a panel of professionals talk about what they should expect in the job force and then they had the opportunity to network with
the professionals,”said Marquart.After the presentation, students were
given the opportunity to tour Frye Allen, Inc., jhP and Gizmo Productions.
Jeff Dailey, former Washburn Ad Club president, attended the presentation to network with local professionals.
“This was an opportunity for students to rub elbows with professionals within our community,” said Dailey. “It also was a unique opportunity for students to network themselves in an environment that would be beneficial to them in the many facets of media.”
WU Ad Club, Topeka AAFT host Ad Camp
FACEBOOK AND TWITTER are dominating means of communication throughout the world today, especially in the lives of college students.
Social media is the tool in which Top City Live, a student-run organization, generates their buzz. Although the group is a website, it has realized that social media is the best way to reach students and get them to its events. Angel Romero, the founder of Top City Live, knows how important Twitter and Facebook are to the organization.
“We use Twitter and Facebook to connect with young professionals in Topeka and to connect them with our organization and the students at Washburn,” said Romero. “They are helping us connect the students with the community.”
Top City Live’s main goal is connecting
students to the community of Topeka. The organization wants students to know that they don’t have to leave Topeka to have fun on the weekends and during the week. The goal is to keep students in Topeka while they are in school and even after they graduate.
“When I got to Washburn I heard people say there wasn’t anything to do,” said Mikki Burcher, a Washburn alum involved in Top City Live. “I started to buy into it as I got older and then I realized that there is a lot of stuff to do here. Support the town that you are in because the city pays for our school and the city supports us. And in return for the quality of education we get, we need to give back.”
Burcher said it’s important to not only
focus on community service projects, but also giving back to the businesses in Topeka, rather than spending money in places such as Kansas City, Lawrence and Manhattan.
Top City Live has more than 30 members, some whom are extremely involved and others who come every once in awhile. There are 10 members who are working to extend Top City Live into the community, including Romero and Burcher. Burcher is currently generating content to put on its website. She strongly believes in the power of social media.
“I found out about Top City Live from Facebook,” said Burcher. “I saw a bunch of links on Facebook and looked into it. I supported their message and everything they were about, so I got involved.”
Romero is a Washburn Law student and Burcher is a mass media and English department alum. They feel it’s important to have recent graduates involved in the organization because they have many connections to current students and can help spread the word through their friends and former classmates.
“We aren’t trying to re-invent the wheel at Washburn or in Topeka. We are just trying to increase community involvement,” said Romero.
“We aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel at Washburn or in Topeka. We are just trying to increase community involvement,” said Romero.
Live from Top City
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“This gave students a great opportunity to hear about what the industry has to offer...” said Marquart.
THE 2010-11 YEAR has introduced Tara Wallace as the new secretary for the Mass Media Department.
Wallace was hired to replace Ginny Falk, who retired after 15 years.
“Ginny had been with us a long time, and we wanted someone just like her,” said Kathy Menzie, department chair.
According to Menzie, Wallace was one of the first people to apply for the position and the first person Menzie interviewed.
“It was clear that she was the best,” said Menzie. “There was no hesitation, she was exactly what we were looking for.”
Wallace originally worked as a secretary at Central Texas College before moving back to Topeka to be closer to her family. She said her transition into Washburn was easy, for the most part.
“I went from a two-year college to a four-year college, which has a little different form to get used to,” said Wallace. “It’s took me a little bit to get used to the way things are done at a four-year school, but I have adapted to it.”
Wallace had a busy start at Washburn. One week before she started on campus, she married her husband Ashley Wallace, a Washburn technology support technician.
“It was funny because I got hired on here at Washburn and a month later my husband finds a position open for
him as well,” said Wallace.
She and her husband are enjoying their time on campus together.
“I love the fact that we can enjoy our lunch breaks together here on campus. It makes being newlyweds even better,” said Wallace.
So far her transition to Washburn has been easy on her because she enjoys working within the department.
“It is nice seeing how passionate these professors are for their job,” said Wallace. “They will hear something on the radio and bring that information into the office and try to incorporate that idea into new curriculum or lecture to help the students learn a new skill.”
It is because of this attitude that Wallace has felt at home within the mass media department. She feels there is energy from all the professors that makes the department and students thrive.
“When I first applied for the position I thought Mass Media was strictly about broadcast,” said Wallace. “But being in the office and developing the new curriculum I realized that it is widespread and there are so many more possibilities for media students.”
Working for the staff and students is Wallace’s primary goal.
“I just want to make the department’s job easier and do anything to make that possible,” said Wallace.
Wallace understands how important having a smooth running department is because she is still a student herself.
“I am taking classes from Texas A&M to finish my psychology major, so I will be done in February,” said Wallace.
Wallace is busy during the week, but she is able to manage her time as a full time employee, student, wife and mom.
“I enjoy challenging myself, especially work wise,” said Wallace. “There is always something to do, something to improve on and that is what makes work interesting.”
Wallace new to media crew
“I enjoy challenging myself, especially work wise. There is always something to do, something to improve on and that is what makes work interesting,” said Wallace.
Selby Renk
New Addition: Secretary Tara Wallace is new to the mass media team. Wallace moved to Topeka from Texas to be closer to her family. Photo by Rob Burkett
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SEVEN THOUSAND six-hundred miles later, Jae Yoon Park has named Washburn University her new home. Park never pictured herself in Kansas. She always saw herself in New York working in the film industry. Her journey indeed took her to New York, but as fate would have it, this wasn’t her final destination.
Park grew up in Seoul, South Korea, where she received her undergraduate degree in literature. After graduation, she took a job as a TV writer for a major South Korean television network. As her life began to unfold, Park found herself enthralled with movies.
Park decided the first place to start was trying to get into a college known for its film program. However, after applying to a screenwriting school, she was rejected.
“I decided to quit my job after being rejected from screenwriting school and I decided I needed to refresh myself,” said Park.
This decision brought Park to the United States, and eventually to Washburn.
Park stopped in New York first where she attended Columbia University. Unfortunately, the cost of attending school in the United States became too expensive, so Park returned to South Korea to earn a master’s in film studies.
In 2001, Park decided to try her luck again in the United States to continue her education to complete her doctorate at the University of Kansas.
Park continued her studies at KU until this past year, when she decided she wanted to pursue a full-time teaching position.
“I didn’t know much about
Washburn at all. I saw the job opening on the website, and decided to apply,” said Park. “My concentration is in film studies and I’m a film person, but my interests are broad. I enjoy studying all aspects of media.”
Park also thought she would enjoy t e a c h i n g broad topics like Intro to Mass Media.
“ I n t r o courses are difficult to teach as well as to take because they o v e r v i e w a lot of d i f f e r e n t topics and d i f f e r e n t types of media in one s e m e s t e r,” said Park. “But they can also teach s t u d e n t s things about their lives.”
Park is c u r r e n t l y t e a c h i n g three sections of Intro to Mass Media and one section of Basic Video Technology. During the spring semester, she added a Cinematic Storytelling course to her load, which outlines the basic principles of screenwriting and visual storytelling. She will continue teaching the basic film and video-making courses, while Charles Cranston transitions to
more advanced courses. “I am definitely excited to
have her here. It’s good to have someone with her credentials, and she has a good theoretical
base on film,” said Cranston.
Cranston isn’t the only one with high hopes for Park’s stay at Washburn. R e c r u i t i n g s t u d e n t s into the Mass Media program is a big goal of Park’s.
“I want to be a part of developing the new curriculum, and I would like to see a lot of advertising for it,” said Park. “ H o p e f u l ly we get a lot of new, good
talent.” P a r k
admits that she has had to change her s t r a t e g i e s t h r o u g h o u t the semester
to accommodate the diverse population that is Washburn.
“At first it was hard to figure out what my students’ expectations were and how I could meet all of them,” said Park. “I had to change my teaching strategy along the way, and now I use many visual aids, so I’m not just lecturing. I try
to stay in touch with the young college students as well by watching a lot of television.”
Park currently lives in Lawrence with her husband, who is in the film and media doctorate program at the University of Kansas.
“It’s nice to have someone who understands media who I can give my discussion questions to, and then he can tell me how to change them or make them better. He gives great feedback,” said Park.
Park also credits her new found faculty family with her successes. She describes the department as being very personal and cozy.
In her free time, she likes to put together films, especially documentaries. Park also finds herself very interested in women’s issues and race issues, especially in the media.
“I really want to help students, especially those who are minorities, women and international students because I can relate to what they’re going through,” said Park.
Jae Yoon Park: The mass media depart-ment earned an expert in film with Korea native Jae Yoon Park. Park teaches a variety of intro classes as well as Basic Video Technology and Cinematic Story-telling. Photo by Rob Burkett
Jennie Loucks
Film guru guides students
“I really want to help students...I can relate to what they’re going through,” said Park.
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THE FALL semester gave the first glimpse of the department’s new curriculum, which included the new course, Advanced Media Lab. Ten students were responsible for the complete organization of an event from start to finish.
Regina Cassell, course instructor, explained its importance for students.
“This was a hybrid class,” said Cassell. “The goal was for the students to complete a project and have significant something to show in their portfolio both individually and as a group.”
This semester, the students worked as a group on one p l a n n e d
project, but in the future students will be responsible for their own project proposals.
The starting goal was to raise $5,000 to convert the darkroom in the Student Media office into a digital editing lab.
“The hardest part of the process was at the very beginning when we were trying to generate ideas that were actually plausible,” said Briana Holmes, senior at Washburn University.
The group decided the main focus of the event, which was dubbed “Mass Media’s Night of Merriment,” would be networking. There was a silent auction with gift baskets, door prizes, hors
d’oevures, a cash bar and a musical act.
“Once we found our focus everything else just
seemed to fall together,” said Holmes. “Our
next step was to push for
sponsorships for the event and for baskets.”
W i t h i n the first c o u p l e weeks in the s e m e s t e r, the date for the event was set but as the date approached, an unusual
circumstance arose.
“Something that happened
that literally none of us could of
foreseen was the fact the Washburn Student Government Association would book Rev. Run from Run DMC to speak on campus the exact same night as our benefit,” said Holmes. “Most of us were just shocked because that is actually a pretty decent speaker and none of us could go. A lot of media students were battling with themselves trying to decide which event to choose.”
Despite another choice being provided, the 10 students continued to find sponsors and sell tickets. Students contacted local media, local shops, alumni and current students for support.
“There are a lot of people out there who were involved with Student Media while they were at Washburn,” said Kyle Brooks, senior at Washburn University. “The biggest problem was communication amongst the group planning it on who was talking to who.”
Cassell and the other mass media faculty have different plans for this course in the future.
“In the future, this will be a yearlong
Jillian Lira
“I may
have a selfish
interest but
Student Media
is advantageous
to all students,”
said Cassell.
Highest bidder: Guests at Media Merriment look at gift baskets during the silent auction. Media Merriment raised money to put toward a new digital editing lab for Student Media. Photo by Rob Burkett
‘Merriment’ brings in cash for lab
class with the fall mainly being the time to put together research and the spring being the time to put your plan into action,” said Cassell.
This course will replace senior seminar in spring 2012.
“ A d v a n c e d Media Lab will still require the students to make a final portfolio and a resume, but it is more of a class bridging doing an internship and facing the professional world,” said Cassell. “Students will gain experience while receiving college credit.”
As for other changes in the curriculum, Cassell foresees Student Media and the actual mass media Department being more intertwined.
“I may have a selfish interest but Student Media is advantageous to all students,” said Cassell. “By the end of any class you will be able to say this is what we as students produced.”
Dr. Kathy Menzie, chair of the mass media department, saw the importance of offering this course.
“A class like this is important because students gain experience,” said Menzie. “A lot of times people are eager to help students either because they
had someone help them or they didn’t.”Menzie liked the concept behind
the event because all students will need its benefits at one point or another.
“Networking is how you find jobs,” said Menzie. “Networking is how I got my last four jobs.”
In the end, the students raised a little more than $1,000 for the project, largely thanks to the many generous partners for the event.
Cassell, who is also the director of student media, submitted a proposal to Washburn Women’s Venture Partners, who notified Student Media in April
that it would receive $5,000 toward the project.
“When I started working as the director, we had just switched to digial photos and did not do videos at all,” Cassell said. “I am so excited to turn this space into something students can freely use as they produce content for our website and other projects.”
Cassell encourages alumni and friends to keep up with campus news by visiting www.washburnreview.com.
Also, save the date for next year’s event, which will be Dec. 8, 2011. It’s a great way for alumni to reconnect.
Rollin’ in the cash: Advanced Media Lab students spent the fall semester planning a networking event and silent auc-tion to raise money for a new digital media lab for the Mass Media Department. From left to right: Robert Burkett, Mikki Burcher, Lily Pankratz, Jillian Lira, Kyle Brooks, Briana Holmes, Josh Rouse, Kanwal Baluch, Professor Regina Cassell and Ashley Shepard. Photo by Gene Cassell
Photos by Rob Burkett and Josh Rouse
‘Merriment’ brings in cash for lab
showed confidence in me when I was intimated by selling ads.”
With this support and guidance, choosing mass media as a major was a pretty easy choice for Marquart.
“My sophomore year of high school, my [Future Business Leaders of America] sponsor told me that we needed someone to compete in sales presentation and she wanted me to do it,” said Marquart. “I was really nervous at first. I didn’t know the first thing about sales, and I thought I was going to grow up to be a lawyer. Anyway, I put together a presentation, qualified for State FBLA and then made it to the top 10. After that, I was hooked on marketing.”
Her advice for fellow alumni is simple; Don’t let the job market get you down.
“If you really love this industry - and you’ll have to in order to survive - people will recognize your passion. Also, get involved in local networking organizations like American Advertising Federation of Topeka, Fast Forward, International Association of Business Communicators, American Business Women’s Association, etc.,” said Marquart.
Outside her busy work schedule, Marquart takes some of her own advice to be involved in many local
media organizations. She serves as the education chair on the AAFT board.
“I know what it’s like to be a student who feels uncertain about breaking into the market, so it’s a personal goal of mine
to give back to students and help them prepare for their new careers to the best of my ability,” said Marquart.
To further expand her knowledge and skill set, Marquart is currently working on her MBA at Washburn.
“I’ll definitely stay in a media related field, specifically media buying,” said Marquart. “It sounds silly, but it’s what I was born to do. It’s the perfect blend of research and creativity. Some day I’d like to work with a nonprofit that raises funds for cancer research, but we work with a lot of nonprofs at jhP, so I might be able to accomplish that dream while maintaining my position.”
Alumna pursues passionEmily Scott
Dream Job: Angie Marquart currently serves as part of Jones-Hewitt Partners and is involved in organizations like American Advertising Federation of Topeka. Photo courtesy of Angie Marquart
• 106.9 Country Legends• 785 magazine• Beauty Brands• Bonnie Rouse• Brad Noller Agency• Buffalo Wild Wings• Community Bank• Deedra Baker• Downtown Topeka• Emily Keehbauch• Fingerprint Media Solutions
• Hazel Hill Chocolates• K.J. Thies• Kansas City Royals• Kansas City T-Bones• Kate Fechter• KTWU• Los Carinos• Qdoba• Quinton’s Bar & Deli• Ramada Convention Center• Salon 37
• State Farm Agency - Todd Shepard
• Tailgators• Tesa DeForest• Topeka AWC• Topeka RoadRunners• Triple A• Washburn Athletic Department• WU Volleyball• XYZ magazine
ANGIE MARQUART, 23, graduated from the mass media department in December 2009 with an advertising emphasis. She is currently a media coordinator at Jones-Huyett Partners in Topeka. It is her job to assist the media director by putting together media recommendations, placing/buying media and researching potential new media outlets. Marquart also assists the director of social media and manages the company’s Twitter account.
“Angie started at jhP as an intern,” said Sherri Wilson, media director at jhP. “Her positive attitude and willingness to accomplish anything asked of her led us to offer her a full-time position with jhP when she graduated.”
During her time at Washburn, Marquart met many people who helped her find her niche.
“I still stop in to talk to Maria Stover about American Advertising Federation-Topeka about what we’re doing for students,” said Marquart. “Regina Cassell
“It’s a personal goal of mine to give back to students and help them prepare for their new careers to the best of my ability,”said Marquart.
Thanks to our 2010 sponsors
Lauren EckertStudent strives to achieve
Ad Club and the Leadership Institute. She has also been involved in the Washburn Film and Video Association and currently serves on the sports production crew, responsible for capturing Washburn volleyball and basketball games on video.
But Shefte is perhaps most well known for her stint on the Washburn Lady Blues Soccer team. Collins is grateful for the time and effort Shefte has given over the last four years, declaring her a major asset to the team.
“Jordan’s presence and performance over her four years sets a high bar for our returning student athletes,” Collins said. “Her leadership, talent and personality combined have provided us with many fond memories, both on and off the field.”
Shefte has never forgetten the dream she has for a successful career in the media field. She has added additional skills to her resume through multiple internship opportunities.
Last summer, Shefte spent much of her time interning at KETV in her hometown in Nebraska.
“At first I was really nervous,” Shefte said. “Going in I didn’t know how much involvement I was actually going to have. I was nervous that
AS THE OMAHA, Neb. native approached the end of her undergraduate career at Washburn University, the seed of desire to someday hold a position as an anchor on the “Today Show” continued to take root in her mind. While this dream may seem to be planted far in the distance, there is no doubt that Jordan Shefte has left her mark at Washburn.
It was the opportunity to play the sport she loves that brought Shefte to Washburn in the first place. After visiting the university and speaking with soccer coach Tim Collins, Washburn found itself on the top of her list.
Inspiration for the idea to study journalism in college originated from a high school field trip when her class toured a local news station. The inside-look at a job in front of the camera sealed the deal for Shefte, leaving her confident that she would make a career of it.
“I have always been comfortable in front of the camera and I love talking,” Shefte said. “I can talk all day.”
Shefte followed up the declaration of her major with numerous extracurricular activities at Washburn. Holding the title of president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Shefte was also a member of the Washburn
my job would consist of making coffee and running errands.”
Shefte was pleasantly surprised when she was allowed the opportunity to shadow a reporter during live broadcasts and was even sent out into the field with a camera man to shoot her own footage and ask her own questions, which resulted in a very rewarding experience.
Her second internship was not media related, but attracted its own share of media attention. Shefte developed “Books with the Bods,” an outreach program involving Washburn student-athletes and students from Farley Elementary School.
On days when Shefte was not preoccupied with school
involvement or at soccer practice, she was usually found in the lower level of the Memorial Union working in the Student Media office. Over the last two years, Shefte served as a videographer for the Washburn Review and was responsible for filming stories, editing the material and packaging the story for publication on the web. After a promotion to assistant online editor of the Washburn Review, Shefte worked weekly on filming and packaging her own stories as well as others and putting them online for the growing audience at Washburn to peruse; all while helping to maintain the Washburn Review website.
Passionate: Jordan Shefte pursues all opportunities at Washburn with drive and determination. Photo courtesy of Jordan Shefte
December 8, 2011
Whitney Jones
Preparing for departure THE MASS MEDIA
department offered students a unique opportunity in the spring of 2011 that allowed them to pair their traditional classroom experience with some world traveling.
Maria Stover, mass media faculty, taught International Media Systems for the first time last semester. In conjunction with the class, though not required, was the opportunity to spend spring break in Paris to participate in an International Media Seminar, hosted by the Center for the Study of International Communication. Students could choose to take the class and not go on the trip, go on the trip and not take the class or do both. The class was open to all Washburn students, not limited to mass media students.
Given her passion for international travel, Stover was an obvious choice to teach the class.
“I was really excited about that. This is a class that I have wanted to teach ever since I have been here,” said Stover.
This class came into fruition because faculty in the department had been discussing the idea of an international studies class. Stover wanted to somehow integrate a travel component to the class.
Kathy Menzie, mass
media department chair, mentioned the seminar. She knew of the seminar because she took students from Washburn 10 years ago. She went again in 2000, but only had two students participate.
The seminar has been engaging students from around the globe since 1996. Lee Huebner, former publisher of the International Herald Tribune, chairs the Center for the Study of International Communication and is in charge of the seminar.
After contacting Huebner and getting the permission for Washburn to attend the seminar, Maria began filling out the proper paperwork. This is when she found some exciting opportunities for students.
This seminar is designed to allow students the opportunity to tour world-renown media houses, such as the International Herald Tribune building, listen to influential speakers and to truly experience Parisian culture. The seminar and hotel were located in central Paris, conveniently located near the Eiffel tower, so sightseeing was easily within walking distance.
“It has the right mix of important speakers coming and giving lectures and presentations, and also the right amount of going places
and touring them,” said Stover.
The mass media department hopes to offer this class or a similar one on a regular basis, so that students have the opportunity to experience the world.
“I think it is a great opportunity to share my passion of the international media. So I like to think this trip as an opportunity instead of a challenge,” said Stover.
Photo by Emily ScottSpring in Paris: Washburn mass media students traveled to Paris as part of international media systems class. The purpose of the class was to give students a first person perspective of international media. Photos by: Ashley Shepard and Emily Scott
Spring Break
Memories for a lifetimeEmily Scott
SPRING BREAK. The two words generally conjure up images of vacations and relaxation. For a group of Washburn students, spring break 2011 meant embarking on an adventure that took them halfway around the world to the International Media Seminar located in the heart of Paris.
Maria Stover and Regina Cassell, Mass Media faculty, took 19 students from various majors to participate in the seminar, which was hosted by the Center for the Study of International Communication.
The seminar organizers provided students information about the right places to experience Parisian culture first hand, though students had some freedom deciding what they wanted to visit in their free time. Some of the landmarks that students visited included the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Arc de Triumph and an exhibit of the works of artist, Salvador Dalí.
“I think Paris is one of the culture capitals of the world, with the museums and art available and fashion of course,” said Stover.
Stover was in charge of
most of the planning for the trip. All of her hard work paid off, as she said the trip not only met but surpassed her expectations.
“Each time you put something together for the
first time, there is always extra work, but I’ve kept thorough records. It’ll be much easier, l o g i s t i c a l l y , next year,” said Stover.
The seminar p r o v i d e d students with u n p a r a l l e l e d
exposure to media professionals. It allowed face-to-face interaction with some of the world’s most prominent journalists, advertisers and photojournalists, including Christian Malard, Jon Randal and John Morris.
Students also got to tour Publicis, one of the world’s largest advertising agencies; the International Herald Tribune, a global newspaper; Libération, a French “left” newspaper; and France-24, an all-news cable channel that broadcasts in French, English and Arabic.
Stover hopes that this seminar continues to be an annual experience offered to Washburn Students. She realizes the importance of the
seminar for students.“I have always been a
champion of international travel,” said Stover. “I really believe that by traveling internationally you not only learn a lot about other cultures, but also learn a lot about ourselves. Inevitably, when I have talked to students who have traveled abroad,
I see how transformed they are, how differently they feel about the world around themselves. Now I am happy to be able to join students in such an experience to Paris, France.”
What we did Sunday March 20 Walking Tour Boat Tour on the Siene River
Monday March 21 Tour of Publicis Tour International Herald Tribune Champs de Elyese Dinner at Lee Huebner’s home
Tuesday March 22 Seminars Montmarte Neighborhood Dalí Museum
Wednesday March 23 Seminars Louvre
Thursday March 24 Seminars Visit to Libération Visit to John Morris’ home Notre Dame Cathedral Eiffel Tower
Friday March 25 Visit France 24 Television Studio Palace of Versaille Cabaret Dinner
Photo by Maria Stover
“You not only learn a lot about other cultures but also learn a lot about ourselves. ” said Stover.
in Paris
TARA SCHROEDER, 25, dances circles around her competition, in all aspects of her life.
Schroeder graduated from Washburn with a mass media
degree in the fall of 2009. She is currently an account executive at Zillner, a marketing and advertising company based in Kansas City, Kan. That, and she is also aspiring to become a NFL cheerleader.
Schroeder, a native of Olathe, Kan., has been working for Zillner for a little over a year. She works with an account team to create and execute integrated advertising plans. Schroeder said this position provides many opportunities for her to branch out into other projects.
“If there is one thing that I learned from the Washburn mass media Department, it’s the importance of staying committed to growing and learning. I’m lucky to work at a company that allows me so many opportunities to try new things,” said Schroeder.
Schroeder doesn’t take her work, or any aspect of her life lightly.
“In general, my daily goal is to seek better and more innovative ways to do what we do in this business. The communication industry is fascinating, fast-paced, inspiring and constantly
changing. It’s very exciting to be a part of the next generation of professionals who will mold and define this business,” said Schroeder.
“Tara was the type of student you dream about working with,” said Kate McCown, assistant director of Residential Living.
McCown also said Schroeder consistently went above and beyond her responsibilities and was an extremely hardworking, motivated and dedicated student.
“Cheering at the NFL level was always a dream – but it became a real life goal in the last few years,” said Schroeder. “Now that I’ve cheered at the semi-pro level for a few years, I’m ready to reach for something bigger. I’m a big believer in being goal-oriented, so the second I accomplish one goal I know it’s time to focus on setting a bigger one.”
She continues to foster that lifelong passion by coaching at Saint Thomas Aquinas High School and dancing for the Kansas Koyotes, the Topeka semi-professional arena football team.
Alumna dreams bigEmily Scott
MASS MEDIA chair Kathy Menzie will admit that the new space the department obtained was completely by accident.
But it was an accident that will play huge dividends for the department and its students.
During the 2010-2011 school year, the department inherited a section of room 23 in Henderson Learning Center, a vacant classroom that was once used by the Psychology Department.
Menzie said that once the room became up for grabs, she jumped at the chance to use the space as a video editing base for electronic media students. The room was then divided into three new editing stations, Henderson 23 F, G and H.
“It was actually sort of a fluke,” Menzie said. “Apparently, a year ago or so, someone downstairs decided to put a classroom in the other half
of room 23. The dean called several of the chairs together to see what to do about this room. Fortuitously, I was in that meeting and said ‘If you don’t need this space, we would love it.’ And there was enough money to divide that room into three rooms.”
The department is also getting new hardware and software to install into the rooms for next school year. Video editing programs Avid and Final Cut Express will also be available in the editing suites starting this summer. The new equipment was obtained through a capital upgrade the department received.
Mass media professor Charles Cranston, who specializes in electronic media courses, said the
improvements were long overdue. “We’ve been needing to upgrade for
quite awhile now, even more so with our new curriculum,” Cranston said. “We have a film and video sequence that is starting up and it has specific courses that focus on editing.”
Before the new additions, editing stations were scarce, forcing students to work in a cramped room. Cranston said students will soon have plenty of places to edit. Next school year, 32 computers in Henderson will either have Avid or Final Cut Express.
“I think everybody is excited about the new facilities, the new space, the new equipment and the new technology,” Cranston said.
New lab helps studentsRick Peterson
Big dreams: Schroeder currently works at Zillner, but has aspirations of becom-ing a professional cheerleader. Photo courtesy of Tara Schroeder
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GAME TIME. They follow the movement, and are thrilled by the cheers of the crowd. Someone cracks a joke over the headsets, and the other members of the broadcast crew roll their eyes or laugh while staying trained on the ball.
The crew in many ways reflects the sports that it covers. Crew members report three hours before the game, and are in position by warm-up. They operate as a team to coordinate shots for the best coverage.
However, unlike the teams they cover, the majority of the broadcasting crew members are mass media majors.
“Typically I just go to mass media classes to recruit,” said Dale Rusche, the Information Systems and Services coordinator of production. “Mass media students need the experience, and we can help with that. We also put them in contact with other students who they go to class with and see everyday but wouldn’t otherwise normally interact with.”
Rusche, along with Lyall Ford, the ISS production assistant, is in charge of the crew, and ultimately its product. The broadcast crew is responsible for filming football,
volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball home games. Some games are contracted to other companies or picked up by KTWU, but many fall through the cracks. The crew films the remaining games and broadcasts them live through B2 Networks’ online
hosting. The games are also rebroadcast during the week by Washburn University’s cable television station, channel 13.
There are six students on each crew: three camera operators, one person to work the audio board, one director and one character generator, who is responsible for queuing packages for advertisements.
Each position plays an integral part, said Rusche, but often the director is the one that is most sought after. It is also the one that he reserves for students who have
seniority on crew.Jared Wilson, a junior mass media
major, has been on crew all three years, and said that while he enjoys doing whatever position he is assigned, being the director is
the most challenging.“I think directing
is very intimidating,” said Wilson. “It’s probably the tougher one. Some people get scared of the audio, as well as the CG. They’re not hard, it’s just a matter of getting used to them.”
Rusche and Ford are there to oversee the process and help when needed, but the process is largely dependent on the students because there is only about
a 15-second delay before the footage runs on the B2 Networks’ website.
The experiences gained while on the broadcast crew are the biggest draw for mass media students, who often use the crew to springboard onto bigger projects.
“Broadcast crew is very much a you-get-out-what-you-put-in experience,”
said Rusche. “But it can give real world experience, and a lot of places recruit right off the crew.”
Amy Horvath, a senior mass media major, is in her second year on the crew, and said the promise of experience drew her in. The experience she gained on the crew led her to a job filming the Topeka RoadRunners games at the Kansas Expocentre.
“The second I told them I had done sports production at Washburn, they knew that I had the ability,” said Horvath, “Almost everyone else on the crew for the RoadRunners did or has done sports production, so they knew what I had been taught and what I have done.”
Rusche said that another crew alumnus, Justin Gutierrez, now has a job working for ESPN.
“I can’t take credit for Justin,” said Rusche, “but I like to think that we helped him take it this far.”
The broadcast crew is full of networking opportunities.
“Justin helped me get on with ESPN,” said Wilson. “I got to work with them this summer and it’s helped me know people in my classes who can help me.”
While the personal relationships are often the most fun part of the job, since there are two crews per semester, people often have to switch to different groups.
“We use people from each crew to sub in the other,” said Rusche. “As they transfer to the new semester, there’s a bit of wanting to stick together, but there’s also their schedules that get in the way.”
At the end of each session, Rusche and Ford have a taped version of the game, but B2 Networks does not release the number of viewers who watch the game online. Wilson said the online option is not heavily promoted, but he thinks it is becoming more popular.
“Last year and this year I’ve heard a lot more people like students and players talk about it,” he said. “I don’t know how much people watch, but it seems like more people at least know about it.”
Horvath added that for her as a mass media student, the choice to join the crew was a no-brainer when she found out that the sports media all get catering.
“I was like ‘I get paid, I get food, I get experience with equipment and I can talk to people? Well why not?’”
Game time: Jared Wilson, junior mass media major, films sporting events as part of the broadcast crew. He has been involved with the WU crew for three years. Photo courtesy of the Washburn Review
Regina Budden
Sports crew captures action
“Broadcast crew is very much a you-get-out-what-you-put-in experience,” said Rusche.
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MEDIA MASQUERADE attendees were invited to unveil their talents at the annual department banquet Thursday April 28 as the mass media department celebrated the achievements of another successful year for students and staff.
The banquet is a tradition that is planned and executed every year by the Public Relations Campaigns class taught by Kathy Menzie, mass media department chair. And every year, Menzie is surprised by new records set through ticket sales. This year, the class sold a record 144 tickets, priced at $15 each.
Jillian Lira, a member of this year’s class, said the planning of the banquet was a great experience.
“I feel like the banquet was a great success,” said Lira. “It was a great opportunity to work among my peers. I think next year’s class has a lot to live up to.”
But Lira isn’t the only one who
enjoyed the night’s festivities. Matt Wilper, a senior sociology major, has attended the banquet for three years in a row, even though he is not a mass media major.
“Even though I’m not a member of the department I like to come support my friends and my co-workers who are on the yearbook and Review staff,” said Wilper.
The banquet kicked off with a welcome by Kathy Menzie, chair of the deparment and featured guests including Washburn President Jerry Farley and his wife Susan, and over a hundred mass media students, parents, faculty, staff and alumni. The evening was emceed by Jeff Dailey and Patrick Allen, both senior mass media majors and members of the Public Relations Campaigns class. Door prizes including gift cards to Coldstone Creamery, McDonald’s and Sun-Tana were given out throughout the evening
The banquet also featured key-note
speaker Kerrice Mapes, a 2005 mass media graduate who currently serves as the Marketing Coordinator for Family Service and Guidance Center and is the founder of “seveneightfive” and “XYZ” magazines. Mapes was recently featured in “TK Magazine’s” “20 under 40” Business Professionals and spoke to the crowd about the importance of branding.
Lauren Eckert
Top performers: (Left to right) Anna Henry, Lauren Eckert, Regina Bud-den, and Whitney Arthurs were selected by the mass media faculty as the outstanding students in each emphasis. Photo by Mike Goehring
Class reunion: Kerrice Mapes, second from right, was the featured speaker at Media Masquerade. Mapes, a 2005 Washburn graduate, brought along some of her fomer mass media classmates. Photo by Mike Goehring
“You haveto be yourself.
Be proud,stand by your
brand and own it,”said Mapes.
Media Masquerade breaks records
“You have to brand yourself or prepare to be branded,” Mapes said during her address when discussing the transition from college life to that of a young professional. “I started to think ‘who do I want to be?’”
Mapes credits this self-discovery to learn about the importance of staying true to her own brand.
“You have to be yourself. Be proud, stand by your brand and own it.”
Following the key-note speaker, faculty member Regina Cassell recognized the achievements of Student Media, and Maria Stover introduced this year’s Society for Collegiate Journalists initiates.
The audience then got a taste of the student experience while viewing a video presentation put together by senior Kate Hampson. The video gave the audience a glimpse of the International Media Seminar that a group of students attended over spring break. The group toured Paris, France, getting an inside look at various media outlets as well as tourist attractions.
Next on the agenda was the recognition of the 2011-2012 scholarship recipients. Zoey Brown, Anna Henry, Daphne Phillips, Anthony Fast, Jennie Loucks, Brooke Rollison, Bridget Walters and Richard Kelly were all recognized.
The scholarship awards were immediately followed by recognition of this year’s Outstanding Student Awards. Recipients included Anna Henry for advertising, Whitney Arthurs for electronic media, Lauren Eckert for public relations and Regina Budden for media writing and publishing.
“It’s an honor to receive the outstanding student award in advertising,” said Henry. “It just shows you that hard work really does pay off.”
Finally, the department recognized
all of the fall, spring and summer 2011 graduates and wished them well in their future endeavors.
Overall, the banquet was an outstanding success that was enjoyed by many. With Menzie’s declaration that mass media is the “best department in the whole universe,” guests left feeling proud and grateful for the experience.
“I think the banquet is a great way to recognize students and graduating seniors,” said Daphne Phillips, a first year attendee. “I thought it was awesome.”
Photos by Rob Burkett
Perfect presenters: Kerrice Mapes, above, talks to the guests about her journey after graduating Washburn. Mapes gave the future graduates some helpful career advice. Maria Stover, left, presents the new inductees to the Society of Collegiate Jounalists. SCJ recognizes academic achievment in mass media.
Media Masquerade breaks records
Grecian production earns EmmyMaria Sigala
Award winner: Phil Grecian, longtime adver-tising adjunct professor, won an Emmy for his adaptation of “Dracula.” Photo by Rob Burkett
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PHIL GRECIAN never imagined that he would win an Emmy.
When Grecian began writing, he would write scripts and then produce them in his basement. At 15 years old, he wrote a three-act play that was later produced in the Jayhawk Theatre.
Grecian went to University of Kansas for two years and later attended Washburn to finish his degree in theatre. Though he began a career in advertising, he continued to write. Eventually, Washburn University requested that the 25 year advertising veteran start teaching advertising classes. Today, he can be found teaching in the mass media department and playwriting on the side for some extra income.
About 125 of Grecian’s productions have been performed throughout North America, with seven or eight of his productions published.
Grecian said he enjoys writing the most when characters start taking over the story. Grecian remembers in one of the scripts that he was suppose to kill a character on the story, but somehow the character managed to stay alive and the wrong characters died. Grecian said most writers agree that you are suddenly taking dictation by the characters.
When Grecian first wanted to bring the production of “Dracula” to life, he was working with the Playhouse Theatre. At that time the theater was going under some construction.
“I decided to do ‘Dracula’ as a full play and it became clear to me that the Playhouse building was not ready for it to be played. About a year later I wrote it as a radio drama and licensed it as a radio program,” said Grecian.
One of the hardest parts of writing “Dracula” was trying to decide what to use or throw out. Grecian said that he tries to be faithful to the original as much as possible. Grecian said that on radio, scenes of the story are on the listener’s imagination and that you are able to leave more information in while writing the script. Once on the TV you have to keep people thinking that all the scenes are the same as
on the original, although you are cutting a lot of scenes. “Dracula” ran on the radio for three or four years after playing it in Barnes Theatre.
After that, Hastings took it to
Topeka Performing Arts Center and called the radio to broadcast it live. KTWU, the public broadcasting station owned and operated by Washburn University, showed interest in broadcasting the radio drama on television.
Allan Hazlett played “Dracula” when Grecian first brought the original to stage. He has worked with Grecian for 40 years. He later played “Dracula” again when it was brought to KTWU to be broadcasted.
“I got a note from KTWU saying ‘We’ve submitted Dracula for an Emmy.’ There wasn’t really any budget for the production; it was rehearsed but there was no budget,” said Grecian.
Grecian also said that competitors usually spend thousands of dollars, but “Dracula’s” production was not as expensive as some of the competitor’s productions. Two weeks after the submission a notification was received saying that “Dracula” had been nominated. Two months after the nomination, Grecian had an Emmy in hand.
“I’ll be damned, we won an Emmy,” said Grecian when he found out about the award.
After receiving the award, Grecian’s friends asked him to go out and celebrate.
“My friends will pass it around and each would take a picture while I sat and had a drink,” said Grecian.
Hazlett who played the main character said that he was also very excited and pleased that it was well accepted.
“I remember that Phil was very excited. I found out through Facebook, which is much easier than calling everyone,” said Hazlett. Grecian is very proud, but said that the cast, crew and KTWU really won it. But it is clear the recognition is well deserved.
“There are two reasons why Grecian is so successful at what he does; one is that he is very talented. However, talent only gets you so far. He stays focused and works hard on making the cast. He also understands,” said Hazlett. Hazlett also said that he likes the fact that Grecian does not turn the actors into puppets and lets actors bring their own interpretation.
Grecian’s passion for his hobby may in fact produce another Emmy win with the production of “Frankeinstein.”
Hazlett said that he also hopes that that the production of “Frankenstein” wins an Emmy. Hazlett felt that the production value was much better.
Currently Grecian is working on a western production because there aren’t many of them.
“I’ve been watching guns, hangings, saloons, and I want to put as much as I can and make it still work,” said Grecian.
Grecian has produced many successful productions and strives to continue to catch audience attention with future productions and encourages students with a passion for writing to give it a shot.
“Writing is one of the loneliest jobs there is. Hardest of it, is to do it but the second hardest is to stop,” said Grecian. “Something I would say to students is to get over not wanting to do it even if you are writing nonsense, if you have a story to tell, the story will come out. Anything can happen. Who would have thought I would win an Emmy!”
A WOMAN and her teenage son travel up a dry dusty path before coming to a halt outside of a small cabin-like ranch house. On the porch stands an older man, whose knitted eyebrows mark him as grouchy and unsympathetic.
Thus is the introduction of three-quarters of the main characters in “High Value,” a local film set 40 years in the future, in western Kansas after the Ogallala Aquifer has dried up.
Charles Cranston, professor of mass media at Washburn University, wrote, directed and co-produced the film. He said the character developments came from a series of discussions that he had with co-producer Christina Nico Pope in the spring of 2009.
“At that time we were talking about doing a documentary of some sort about climate change,” said Cranston,
They didn’t feel that they had the budget for a documentary. They wanted to localize the potential environmental problems, and so began the idea of a feature film.
After developing the scenario, Cranston worked on the characters, focusing a lot on Elam and his back-story. He found the idea of a rugged, Clint Eastwood-esque character intriguing.
“He’s a very careful individual,” said Cranston. “He has what you might call a character arc. Initially he’s not someone that you might identify as being good.”
When Cranston and Pope were first developing a setting for the film, Cranston said the ecosystem was a big concern, but global warming and climate change were pretty broad topics to look at, until they saw a few articles about the Ogallala Aquifer, which supplies much of the Midwest’s water.
“We decided to take the idea of the Ogalala Aquifer, and look at some of the research,” said Cranston. “Scientists have been saying that it could potentially dry up in the next 30-40 years. In fact by 2042 if the current usage continues…it will be gone.”
From southern California to western Kansas would be the region hardest hit by this situation, said Cranston, however he was unable to shoot it in that location when he filmed this summer.
“It was actually filmed in the flint hills, which is central rather than western Kansas,” he said. “One of the things you don’t see in the film is a real wide angle shot of where it is because…there were some hills.”
The inability to choose the “ideal” location didn’t put them off much, though, said Cranston, because, even with a research
grant from Washburn University, the film’s tight budget didn’t have much wiggle room.
“With this kind of a budget, you have to ask ‘Do we want to spend it on location expenses or on crew or actors or what?’” he said. “I felt that we had good actors. They were very easy to work with. Sometimes when you hire people who are in the business and well-known, you have to deal with all their people.”
Although the hills were an unpleasant giveaway, the actual production part was fairly painless, and was accomplished in four long days of shooting. They shot it at Flying W Ranch, where they slept in the cabins and were catered with gourmet food.
“I find if you provide all the creature comforts, if you make everybody happy, generally everything works,” said Cranston.
With a crew that included Washburn students Brenda Blackman, Zak Pauls, Arissa Utemark and graduate Kevin Mitchell, the filming went fine and Cranston was able to edit the digital files this fall, with the first public screening on Dec. 9 at College Hill Theatre.
Although Cranston said he hopes to
have another screening soon, his priority will be entering “High Value” in film festival competitions over the next year.
Film fanatic: Professor Charles Cranston sits at his desk ready to transform some raw video and audio into an edited film. Photo by Rob Burkett
Regina Budden
“I find if you provide all the creature comforts, if you make everybody happy, generally everything works,” said Cranston.
19
Professor shoots in hills
Media Alumni Class NotesTom AllenAllen, 2003, is employed by the Kansas Department of Transportation and recently received a promotion to acqui-sitions agent. Tom and wife Rasha of 14 years, have two children. Gabriel,7, Noah, 3.
Valerie (Holmes) BakerBaker, 2007, is the event coordinator for the Washburn University Foundation.
Jim BernardBernard, 1986, is a manager at Good-year Auto Service Center. He is a successful coach of Topeka Indians 13-year-old baseball team.
Cheri BernardBernard, 1986, is the public relations/product placement senior analyst at Payless ShoeSource, Inc. She and husband, Jim, have two kids, Dylan and Jake.
Valerie CavigliaCaviglia, 2010, is working as a journal-ist in Fort Wayne, Ind., at KPC Media Group in online and print news. She is also a freelance designer at meidea, llc., a small marketing and design boutique. She is engaged to Washburn School of Business alumnus Jacob Gough.
Susanna Crandall Crandall, 2011, is currently working at Envista Credit Union as a member ser-vice representative. She was awarded “MSR of the Year” for 2009 and 2010.
Karli DavisDavis, 2006, is working as the com-munications specialist at the Resource Center for Independent Living, Inc.
Andrew DunlapDunlap, 2009, is working for Entercom Radio in Kansas City. He is the promo-
tions coordinator for 610 Sports Radio KCSP and NewsRadio 98.1, 980 KMBZ.
Annie (Patterson) FlachsbarthFlachsbarth, 2007, is currently work-ing as the deputy director of marketing and communications at the Kansas Department of Labor. She married Washburn Law Alum Brett Flachsbarth in 2008. They have a daughter, Molly Kate.
Karl FundenbergerFundenberger, 2008, was named one of the Greater Topeka’s Top 20 Under 40 business professionals in 2010. He was also part of the 2011 Leadership Greater Topeka Program.
Orin Grammer Grammer, 2007, is working for 10Geek-software. He is the social media, marketing and sales manager. Orin and wife, Jennifer, have two kids, Aiden, 7, Brady, 3.
Justin GutierrezGutierrez, 2010, is a technical direc-tor for ESPN3.COM on the NHRA Full Throttle tour. He also freelances for ESPN on various productions including NASCAR, Monday Night Football and the Old Spice Classic College Basketball Tournament.
Mallory HatfieldHatfield, 2007, is the new business representative for Kids Stuff Market-ing, Inc. Hatfield is to be married Oct. 1, 2011, to John McDaniel. Julie JacobsenJacobsen, 2010, is the director of membership services at the Boys & Girls Club of Topeka. She is on the State Planning Committee for Red Ribbon Week, the Steering Committee for the Nancy Perry Day of Caring, the Young Leaders Society and the Young Leader Readers. She is getting married June 11.
Corey JonesJones, 2009, is a reporter for The Topeka Capital-Journal. He took second place in the Kansas Press Association’s 2010 contest for agricultural story writing.
Curtis KitchenKitchen, 2002, follows the Big 12, Kan-sas State and national college basket-ball beat including K-State’s run to the NCAA Tournament Elite 8 in 2010. In the past, he has also covered the Kan-sas City Wizards (now Sporting KC) for Major League Soccer’s mlsnet.com site as well as the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals for Sports Radio 810 WHB. His freelance portfolio includes media out-lets and publications, from the Miami Herald to the San Jose Mercury News.
Misty KrugerKruger, 2007, is the public informa-tion officer for the Shawnee County Health Agency. Misty and husband Tom have two kids, Kayleigh, 3, Thomas, 5 months. She is also the vice-president of the Kansas Association of Public Information Officers.
Edmond LeboeufLebouef, 2004, graduated with a Bach-elor of Legal Studies from Washburn in 2006 and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Economics from Washburn in the Fall of 2010. That same year, he ran his first marathon.
Josh Lehman Lehman, 2011, was nominated for the Sagamore Honor Society.
Josh MabryMabry, 2010, is the Internet coordina-tor at WIBW.
Kerrice MapesMapes, 2005, is the marketing coor-dinator at Family Service & Guidance Center, and owner of seveneightfive magaine and XYZ magazine. She was recently named one of the Greater Topeka’s Top 20 Under 40 business professionals in 2010. In 2010, she was named one of the top 10 finalists for “Women Making Headlines” award from the Association for Women in Communications.
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Whitney McMahanMcMahan, 2005, is currently a yearbook specialist and sales representative for Balfour Yearbooks. She is getting married in July 2011.
Mandy MillerMiller, 2007, is currently the director of legislative affairs for Strategic Communica-tions of Kansas.
Stephanie Moore Moore, 2005, is the marketing & creative manager for the Mr. Goodcents corporate office. She will be opening a new business in Topeka called “Seniors Helping Seniors.”
Alicia (Phillips) MowderMowder, 2008, married Washburn School of Business alumnus Christopher Mowder.She is working for Payless Corporate head-quarters. She is attending the University of Kansas working on her master’s in Journal-ism- Marketing Communications.
Brandy NanceNance, 2003, is currently the senior report-er at the Emporia Gazette in Emporia. She received her MBA from The University of Phoenix in 2010.
Mary (Hammel) NapierNapier, 2004, was honored as an outstand-ing woman in the field of communications when she received a Headliner Award pre-sented by Topeka’s Association for Women in Communications in 2011. She owns Napier Communications, Inc.
Neil PaynePayne, 1998, went on to graduate film school at Chapman University in California. He got a MFA in 2008 in film directing. Payne recently directed a music video for the Orange County band “Think Tank” called “Arcadia” that won 2009 Best Music Video at the Indie Short Film Competition, 2010 Best Director Award at First Glance Film Festival and the 2010 Silver Ace award at the Las Vegas film fest in Hollywood.
Maggie RobinsonRobinson, 2009, has been in Salina, Kan. since August 2010 working at Salina Area Technical College as the Recruitment Coor-dinator.
Paige RossRoss, 2010, started a new business called Ross Digital Expressions.
Morgan Schaeffer Schaeffer, 2010, is the communications specialist for Kansas Family Partnership in Topeka and on the board of Association for Women in Communications of Topeka.
Amanda Schuster Schuster, 2008, works for the Kansas League of Municipalities. She recently won the Topeka chapter of Association of Women in Communications Headliner Award in the non-profits category.
Ryan Sinovic Sinovic, 2009, is the Media Director for the Kansas House Minority Leader.
Paige StrohsonStrohson, 1991, is a multifamily solar consultant with HelioPower. She cur-rently serves on the board of the San Diego County Apartment Association and her local Kappa Alpha Theta alumnae chapter
Eric SmithEric Smith, 2009, was hired full-time as a reporter and copy editor at The Topeka Capital-Journal in February 2011.
Sarah Van Dalsem Van Dalsem, 2007, will graduate with her master’s degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Ernie Webb Webb, 1998, is the media specialist for the Washburn University Alumni Association.
Media Alumni Class Notes
Updates …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. Share with us your industry knowledge and experience, too.
e-mail: [email protected]
call: 785-670-1836
mail: Mass Media Department Washburn University 1700 SW College Ave. Topeka, KS 66621
Mas
s Med
ia G
radu
ates Fall 2010
Kanwal BaluchJoey BrattinBrady ButlerHadley ErnstJulie JacobsenLily PankratzMichael Wilhoite Chun Lung Yim
Spring 2011Whitney ArthursErin BensonKyle BrooksSusanna CrandallJeffrey DaileyLauren EckertJustin GutierrezJaime HackmannKatelyn HampsonBriana HolmesAmy Lynn HorvathTimothy HrabeJoshua LehmanJillian LiraShawn McDerrmottAshley NadeauSelby RankEmily ScottJordan ShefteAshley ShepardNicole StejskalWhitney WhitsonJessica Zimlich
Summer 2011Regina BuddenMelissa BylsmaJessica CuffelBenjamin FitchChristian HallmanMaggie MckinleyLuke SchuckmanMaria SigalaValerie Taylor
Michael Wilhoite
Save the date! The 2012 Mass Media Banquet will be Thursday, April 12, 2012
Kyle Brooks Brady Butler Mikale Burcher Susanna Crandall
T h e B I G G E S T g i f t s c o m e i n t h e
S M A L L E S Tp a c k a g e s .
Your gift, of any size, can make a BIG impact for students pursuing a degree in the mass media field. Visit givetowashburn.org to learn about how you
can make a difference.
Mass Media Who’s Who Among College Students 2011 Selections
Jeff Dailey Christian Hallman Katelyn Hampson Briana Holmes
Julie Jacobsen Chun Lin Yim Jillian Lira Ashley Nadeau
Emily Scott Jordan Shefte Ashley Shepard Maria Sigala
Regina Budden
Lauren Eckert
Katelyn Hampson
Briana Holmes
Lily Pankratz
Emily Scott
Jordan Shefte
Ashley Shepard
Nicole Stejskal
Congratulations graduates!
Let us known about jobs, awards, marriages, kids and any other news
you wish to share.
e-mail: [email protected] OR [email protected]
call: 785-670-1836 mail: Mass Media Department
Washburn University 1700 SW College Ave.
Topeka, KS 66621
Gannon Real Estate & Auctions
Call:785-537-9003
THE TOPEKA chapter of the American Advertising Federation has been a valuable professional partner for the Washburn Ad Club. The Washburn Ad Club was initiated in the fall of 2009 as a club that includes mass media, business and art majors.
The club’s objective is to inform students of possible internships, job opportunities and give students an opportunity to learn some of the fundamental requirements and expectations of their respective field. Beyond those purposes, the club also gives students a chance to meet and network with local professionals.
The Washburn Ad Club has strategically aligned with the Topeka chapter of the American Advertising Federation. The AAFT is a group of approximately 50 members drawn from different companies around Topeka.
The members are local professionals with different areas of expertise such as public relations, graphic design, and radio and television professionals.
The AAFT meets every third Thursday of the month at noon, for a lunch-time informative seminar.
The Washburn Ad Club and its affiliation with the AAFT, have given students an opportunity to network outside of a classroom setting. This spring AAFT was host to an event at the University of Kansas. Some mass media students took advantage.
“I attend-ed the AAFT Resume and
P o r t f o l i o Review at KU,” said Anna Henry, senior a d v e r t i s i n g emphasis. “I loved this. I thought it was very helpful.”
H e n r y said there were three speakers who covered the importance of interviewing, d e s i g n portfolios and tips on presenting writing.
“It was great to hear exactly what they want to see and hear, and it made me more confident about myself. It showed me that I need to make some changes in my stuff before I apply for a real job,” said Henry.
Professionals in the organization notice the students who participate.
“Anytime students make an effort, people notice. When students show up for class credit and then leave early, people also notice. Those are the types of things employers consider when making a hiring or internship decision,” said Alissa Sheley, current president of the AAFT.
Despite the relatively small size of the Topeka media market, opportunities
through Washburn Ad Club have been very accessible.
“One of the great things about the Topeka market, is the fact that it is small and approachable for students as they approach graduation. It’s vitally important for students to reach out to those involved in advertising and marketing in order to create opportunities for themselves,” said Ryan Bishop, AAFT’s current vice president.
“The most important reason for students to be involved with this organization is the fact that it provides networking and experience that cannot be achieved through a book. Reaching out to local professionals opens so many doors for students that would not be available if they weren’t involved with an organization like AAFT.”
Jeff Dailey
AAFT partners with Ad Club
1700 SW CollegeTopeka, Kansas 66621
Mass Media Department
Address Service Requested
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PAIDPermit No. 689
Topeka, KS