Mass Media Messenger
2008
Stay Connected
Contents German excursion
pg. 6
Letter from the chair pg. 3
Catch up on alumni class notes pg. 14
Perfect pubs: students win Pacemaker pg. 4
Piland pursues dream pg. 15
SVD - The initials of success pg. 5
WU leads alumna to legislature pg. 16
New group benefits department pg. 10
Unclogging the blogging pg. 18
Department jazzes-up banquet pg. 11
Congrats grads pg. 19
Wired to the Wiki
pg. 8
Menzie meanders across Europe
pg. 12
Letter from the Chair Department moving in right direction By Barb DeSanto Like Frank Sinatra crooned, “It’s been a very good year.” Our students and faculty have accomplished a great deal in just two semesters. At the beginning of the fall semester the faculty began major updating work on our curriculum. Our goal: create a curriculum that’s right in step with today’s converged, part mass-part social, increasingly electronic new media environment. Media today can be just about anything a practitioner wants it to be, and our goal is to give students the skills and tools in a framework that emphasizes responsibility and ethics. Look for the new and revised courses, such as media storytelling, to be phased in next year. We also taught our first Mass Media International Footprints Seminar during spring break at Zeppelin
Barb DeSanto, Chair Mass Media
University in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Three Washburn mass media students studied international travel and tourism and Web 2.0 development with their German counterparts in a week of intense, eighthour classes. The students’ video about this seminar can be found on our third major accomplishment this year, the birth of the mass media wiki. Professors Maria Raicheva-
Stover and Kathy Menzie won a university grant to create the Wiki, and with the technical assistance of Karl Fundenberger, get it up and running. Check out the latest news and happenings about Mass Media at http://morforu.wikidot.com The site is so well-done that it is recognized as the model communication tool for the rest of the College of Arts and Sciences’ department. And, finally, in Summer 2008 we are offering our first three online mass media classes: MM100 Introduction to Mass Media, MM202 Media Writing and MM393 Women and Media. We’re embracing the trend toward online courses and are thinking of more ways to combine in-person and online work for our students. Watch the Wiki for more great leaps forward in the Mass Media Department. That’s what happens when you have great students and faculty!
“
Our goal: create a curriculum that’s right in step with today’s converged, part mass-part social, increasingly electronic new media environment. Media today can be just about anything a practitioner wants it to be, and our goal is to give students the skills and tools in a framework that emphasizes responsibility and ethics.
”
Barb DeSanto
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Student Publications Review wins Pacemaker
By Travis Perry
Washburn University is home to a nationally recognized student newspaper for the second time in 40 years. At the National Associated Collegiate Press Conference in Washington, D.C., winners of the prestigious Pacemaker awards were announced. The 2006-07 Washburn Review Newspaper and the 2006 Kaw Yearbook were named finalists prior to the conference. The Pacemaker, a national award, has been awarded since 1927. A nomination places a student publication in the top 2 percent in its category across the nation. Winning the award, the Review stood alongside collegiate publications from Harvard University and the University of California at Los Angeles. “As a new adviser, one of my top goals was to help student publications compete nationally,” said Regina Cassell, director of student publications. “To reach that goal in four years speaks volumes about the quality of our students.” The first Pacemaker awarded to the Review was in 1969. The hot topics at the time were the legitimacy of the Vietnam War, a request for student input on the construction of the soonto-be-christened Mabee Library and students enrolling electronically using cardreading machines from IBM.
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Photo by Andrew Roland
From left to right: (Back row) Regina Cassell, Travis Perry, Aaron Deffenbaugh, Corey Jones; (Front row) Jeannine Snyder, ReAnne Utemark, Kylie Gilstrap, Melissa Treolo visited Washington D.C. for the fall ACP conference where the Washburn Review won the 2006-07 Pacemaker. The Kaw Yearbook was a Pacemaker finalist.
Former editor-in-chief Sarah Van Dalsem said the award represents several years of reshaping and reworking the face and content of the Review. “It didn’t start with just last year,” said Van Dalsem. “Our first mission is always to Washburn, but it’s nice to have the approval of professional journalists.” Current editor ReAnne Utemark said that she hoped the staff would continue to maintain the quality of the newspaper, and that it will encourage students to read and respond to issues brought up in
the publication. “While it’s fantastic to be recognized nationally, we’re still trying to establish respect with students here,” said Utemark. The preferences of the judging committee change every year. The criteria used to determine the recipients of the Pacemakers are design, photography and evidence of in-depth reporting. Though the yearbook did not win, alumna Karli Davis, editor of the 2006 Kaw, was pleased to be recognized. “Our yearbook has a
long history at Washburn University,” said Cassell. Cassell said the yearbook has continued to improve each year as more students are involved. At the spring Kansas Associated Collegiate Press conference in Wichita, Kan., the 2007 yearbook received a gold rating. “Students who take the time to participate in Student Publications work hard and these awards help their work stand out among peers. It’s a great way to leave a legacy at Washburn,” said Cassell.
s
Alumna SarahProfile Van Dalsem Sarah Van Dalsem, 2007 alumna
By Travis Perry Most graduates discover quickly the jobs of the imagination do not exist in the real world. Former editor-in-chief of the Washburn Review, Sarah Van Dalsem is a staff writer for university relations at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan. “I cannot believe I’m working in public relations,” said Van Dalsem, who spent four years working toward a career in journalism. After nine months on the job, Van Dalsem now prepares an e-newsletter for 7,000
faculty, staff and students at the medical center every two weeks. “I just think of it as my own (little) online newspaper,” said Van Dalsem. Though she misses the thrill from “hard-core” journalism, she has literally put all of her mass media skills to use in one job. “Some J-schools will let their students just do writing or just design. While they are very good at what they do, they are not as marketable in the job search or just when it comes to completing an entire project by themselves,” said Van Dalsem. It was the job application process that made Van Dalsem realize her social network of connections was not nearly as good as she had hoped. She found herself more than relying on her experience she earned from Washburn, and her senior portfolio she toted along to prove it. In fact, her senior portfolio was one of the things that helped set her apart from other applicants, as she was the only one bringing along examples of her work. “I’ve had the opportunity to observe Sarah’s work in
the classroom and as part of Student Publications and I can say without any doubt that she is one of our best students,” said Maria Raicheva-Stover. From designing brochures to reading blogs, Van Dalsem is enjoying her present job. She realizes that experience cannot be replaced, and she is pleased to be gaining experience in such a great work environment. She eventually plans to pursue a graduate degree and hopes to return to journalism, too. Though her current position is a large step from where she was at Washburn, she has learned it was her wellrounded experience at the university that helped her to earn the job. “Student publications gave me the experience the classroom didn’t,” said Van Dalsem. Fellow newspaper students are not surprised by Van Dalsem’s success. ReAnne Utemark worked as the managing editor under Van Dalsem. “Sarah is easily one of the best journalists that I’ve ever met. She has always been very dedicated, and it’s always been awe inspiring for me,” said Utemark.
W
hat if Washburn University earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support WU?
Well, now it can! Just go to www.GoodSearch.com and be sure to enter Washburn Endowment Association (the official fundraising arm of Washburn University) to designate your support. You can also go to the WEA web site and select the GoodSearch button on the front page. Be sure to spread the word!
www.givetowashburn.org
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Going International Germany Students gain perspective By Shalyn Marsh
Photos courtesy Andrew Dunlap
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Experiencing new situations that you’re not really comfortable with is when you learn the most about that culture and also yourself.
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Rachel Whitten
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International travel at Washburn University just got a little easier. During spring break, Barb DeSanto, the mass media department chair, took three students to Zeppelin University as part of a special topics course. Zeppelin University is a relatively young, private university located in Friedrichshafen, Germany. As a tradition started last year, International Week is a week of short, intense courses related to an international topic taught by professors from all over the world. Approximately 75 students from a number of German and European universities attended one of six classes, including DeSanto’s International Travel and Tourism course. The class examined how tourist attractions construct and portray their image in brochures, magazines and online. The class also met with a German travel agent to observe the real life applications of the class. The trip was more than just another class to the Washburn students who attended it. Rachel Whitten, Andrew Dunlap and Karl Fundenberger all experienced unique moments while overseas. Whitten, a junior Writing & Publishing student minoring in German, had always dreamed about studying abroad, but knew that going for an entire semester wasn’t feasible for her. “I think it’s really fascinating to go places you are not familiar with and learn about the culture,” Whitten said. “Experiencing new situations that you’re not really
International Travel: Taking in the International Travel and Tourism class, Desanto bottom left and students from Germany, KU and Washburn study tourism advertising practices.
comfortable with is when you learn the most about that culture and also yourself.” Whitten said that the experience should be very useful in her major, as journalists have to be able to interact with many different people from other cultures and she had learned a lot while socializing with the other students. This course, and future courses like it, could be a style for many mass media students
who need to fulfill the Washburn Transformational Experience to graduation requirement. Dunlap, a mass media junior with a public relations emphasis cited the short term of commitment, the WTE fulfillment and the nearly nonexistent language barrier as reasons for enrolling in the course. “I had never been out of the country before, so I really wanted to go,” Dunlap said. “I think I’m a lot more comfortable and likely to do something like this again. If
y
I hadn’t done this, I wouldn’t even try to go.” Dunlap, an avid music lover, said that his favorite experience in Germany took place outside the classroom. Another student at International Week invited them to a youth center where a local band was putting on a concert. The first song the band played was a Papa Roach song, in English. “I was like, are you kidding me?” Dunlap said. “I love the fact that music is pretty much universal. It was the same as if you were at a concert around here, except all the talk between the songs was in German.” Fundenberger, a senior advertising and French major, had a slightly different experience in Germany since he didn’t take DeSanto’s course during International Week. He opted to go to Web 2.0 instead, a class that is very applicable to his career, even though it was conducted in
Constance
“ Immenstaad, Germany German, a language he doesn’t speak. “The lectures were really hard to follow, but we worked in groups on the project. My group was kind enough to try out their English skills with me, so it worked out,” Fundenberger said. Fundenberger, who spent last spring studying abroad in France, feels passionate that students should experience some international travel while they can. “I always thought I was an open and accepting person. . . but I went to France and I slowly realized all these little subconscious prejudices that I was unaware of. Traveling and experiencing other cultures just melts those away,” Fundenberger said. In true mass media fashion, the students are using their skills to communicate about their experience in Germany. After arriving home, they put together a short video of images and interviews they took while traveling and each narrated a section about their experience. The video was shown at the mass
I always thought I was an open and accepting person . . . but I went to France and I slowly realized all these little subconscious prejudices that I was unaware of. Traveling and experiencing other cultures just melts those away.
”
Karl Fundenberger
Meersburg media banquet, the international house awards ceremony and is available on http://www.morforu. wikidot.com/. The video is part artifact and part promotional as DeSanto plans on international courses like this one to be offered again in the future. “We’re going to do this every year,” said DeSanto. “We’re developing a partnership right now with Zeppelin University so that they can send some of their students to us and we can send ours over there.” And, of course, there’s the real reason for the trip. “German chocolate,” said DeSanto. “There’s nothing like German chocolate.”
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Media Convergence
WIKI
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The Web site is a matter of developing another mindset.
”
Maria RaichevaStover
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Photo by Claudia Alejandra Casas Guadarrama
Mass Media Faculty provide more 4 students By Michael Bray The faculty in Washburn University’s mass media department strive to provide better resources for the students in their program. One goal of the department is to integrate the four basic emphases of its program: media writing and publishing, electronic media, public relations and advertising. A major step toward reaching that goal was the development of a Web site that allows all mass media students to access helpful guidelines toward understanding
their field. The Web site is called “Mor4u,” or “Media Online Resources For You.” The site can be accessed at http://mor4u. wikidot.com. Kathy Menzie and Maria Raicheva-Stover, professors with the department, are responsible for the idea. Inspired by similar online resources at the University of Edwardsville and Purdue University, Menzie and RaichevaStover applied for a curriculum development grant in the fall of 2005. They were turned down at first, but they ultimately received
the grant in the fall of 2006. “Mor4u is something we have always wanted,” Raicheva-Stover said. “The Web site is a matter of developing another mindset.” According to the professors’ project rationale, Mor4u will be a resource for students to learn and review essential media skills. These skills include grammar, AP style, editing, math for journalists, basic ethics, writing for print, design, broadcast, layout and story-telling techniques. The site will achieve the desired integration of the overall mass media curriculum.
a
“The site includes so many resources we all use,” Menzie said. “It will be so nice to have them all in one place.” “The end result of the project will be an online encyclopedia of mass media topics,” RaichevaStover said. “Professors and students can access such information on Mor4u 24 hours a day,” Menzie said. This will solve the common problem of losing previously printed information. Menzie and Raicheva-Stover
are not the only mass media faculty involved. “All mass media staff have access to the new portal,” Raicheva-Stover said. “All have contributed.” Meanwhile, the department continues its evaluation of what it has to offer. The site has expanded the department’s capabilities by allowing students to view current jobs, scholarships and internship opportunities at Mor4u. Students are encouraged to get involved in Wiki through other Internet sites
such as Facebook. “We are revising mass media curriculum with a real recognition of convergence,” Menzie said. Mor4u is currently accessible for all faculty and students. The current mass media Web site will provide a hyper-link to Mor4u. “I don’t look at it as personal success,” Raicheva-Stover said. “It is an opportunity to bring something to the students. I am excited about this resource for the students and I think it will help us do a better job teaching.”
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Department News Washburn goes global By Tricia White Mass media students have been producing the WUCT live news show for four years. Now students are ready to share the broadcast with the world. Digital streaming is the process of using a digital video camera to record, while simultaneously streaming it on the Internet. “It’s a pretty big deal,” said Charles Cranston, associate professor of mass media. “We are the only school in Kansas that will have a live newscast.” According to Cranston, the equipment will change over in the summer to hi-definition. Currently, the WUCT show airs live every Thursday on Topeka’s cable channel 13. Taking the show to the next level through digital streaming will benefit the department, the university and students. “It indicates that we are moving ahead and exposing students to the use of new technology,” said Cranston. “The digital streaming provides Washburn University to be seen in a larger venue.” Jaycie Wiechman, electronic media emphasis, agrees digital streaming will benefit the department because of the Internet’s importance to the media. “Every other type of media is using it as a resource, so it is important that students understand how this process works by the time they graduate,” said Wiechman. “The new studio will give the department the tools to do that.”
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New film association brings opportunities to students
Photo by Danielle Smith
Ian Hoffman, current president and Jaycie Wiechman, future president of WSFVA, are enjoying the mass media banquet.
By Brandon Bills As new technologies continue to transform the way that films are made and distributed, a new organization has formed with the purpose of equipping students to compete in the industry. The Washburn Student Film and Video Association formed in the Fall of 2007 after a conversation between Charles Cranston, professor of electronic media, and Ian Hoffman, WSFVA president. Cranston talked with several students about creating an organization that would assist in the study of digital filmmaking and how it relates to new media.
Hoffman decided to take on the challenge because he saw it as an opportunity to provide an outlet for those interested in film production. “Access to this kind of training in this town, and especially at Washburn, is extremely limited,” said Hoffman, WSFVA president. Hoffman said that before WSFVA, anyone interested in film production was on their own to find those with the skills needed. The organization aims to bring together all aspects of film production and make the connection between producers, writers, directors, video editors, actors, etc. From the beginning, interest in WSFVA has been
strong. Within a few weeks of forming, membership went from just a handful to 40 members. “Students will have the opportunity to not only work together, but with people in the industry,” said Cranston. Special projects of the last school year included redesigning the set for the WUCT news broadcast and launching a marketing campaign to promote the show. In May, WSFVA held the first Washburn University Student Film Festival, showcasing films produced by Washburn students. Plans are in the works to hold a larger film festival in the spring, this time featuring entries from across the country. “I would like to see a big festival, something to put Washburn mass media on the map,” said Jaycie Wiechman. Wiechman, who served as director of special projects this previous school year, will serve as president in the coming year. Wiechman said that next year the WSFVA will be producing advertisements and public service announcements for local businesses and nonprofit organizations. Speakers, seminars and other various activities are also planned. Cranston is excited to see a change in direction that meets the recent changes in the film industry. “Filmmaking is no longer just something you have to go to Hollywood to do,” said Cranston.
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Department News Banquet
2007-2008 outstanding mass media students Media Writing and Publishing • Melissa Treolo
Electronic Media • Evan Linton • Whitney Jones
Advertising
• Karl Fundenberger
Public Relations
By Sarah Farlee Outrunning the law with a backseat full of hooch through the Carolinas wasn’t easy, and neither was pulling off a modern day speakeasy. It required precise planning and flawless execution. Members of Department Chair Barb DeSanto’s public relations campaigns class didn’t outrun hands-on experience when planning this year’s mass media banquet, “All that Jazz.” From the first day of class the group was given the task of coming up with a theme. The class was looking for something memorable, simple to recreate and most importantly, fun. Themes ranging from a luau, a political party, to a decade of disco were scrutinized and passed up. “We wanted something different,” said Tara Schroeder, senior in public relations, who also served as an emcee for the evening. “Something that
had not been done before was important to us.” In walked the 1920s jazz theme with a goal to transform the Washburn Room into more than a gin mill, complete with entertainment, food and elaborate guests. “The jazz theme we selected really allowed us to go in several different directions,” said Chad Blow, senior in public relations. “The more we discussed ideas, the more we came up with.” The theme selection was the first step in a long series of dark winding roads that the group would have to head down. There was no Bronx cheer when the group set out to set the mood for the evening. The group wanted something formal and on the up and up. Getting all dolled up for an evening out seemed the best fit for stepping back into the 1920s. The No. 1 goal was to make the guests feel a part of something special with addition to live jazz band and
dancers. “I had been to past banquets,” said Jaycie Wiechman, junior in public relations. “I didn’t realize how much work went into the event behind the scenes.” Paige Siegel, senior in public relations echoed Wiechman. Siegel served on the decorations committee and felt the most fun was coming up with centerpieces that portrayed not only the theme, but had a modern twist as well. The banquet began early in the afternoon for the class as they diligently worked to turn a banquet room into a hopping club. One member of the class really was the cat’s meow. To top off the night, Tim Traynor, senior in public relations, was named outstanding student in public relations. “I was surprised to be honest,” said Traynor. “I probably looked shocked, because I was, but more honored than shocked.” The night was indeed, the bee’s knees.
• Tim Traynor
www.washburnbookstore.com
Photo by Clara Wilper
Ryan Sinovic and Lana Kraus welcome Tim Traynor to the spring mass media banquet. Attendees were given a code word to enter the “speakeasy” banquet hall, following the 1920s theme.
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Faculty Profile Kathy Menzie
“
There’s nothing as eye-opening or mind-bending as international travel.
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Kathy Menzie
Euro trip transforms professor By Tricia White
Photos courtesy Kathy Menzie
As Kathy Menzie, assistant professor of mass media, recalls her recent sabbatical trip to Europe, her eyes light up and there is a certain excitement that fills the air. “It was an eye-opening experience of ordinary things- people, language and things to learn,” said Menzie. “There was so much to learn and see.” Menzie departed for Europe May 19, 2007, and returned Aug. 3. Her first stop was Athens, Greece, where she presented her dissertation paper about blogging. Her other travel destinations
included visiting the International Herald Tribune in Paris; Dagblad de Limburger in Sittard, Netherlands; taking an international politics course at Cambridge University and attending a media conference. She also visited Florence, Cambridge, Venice, Dublin and Rome. She went to several popular attractions including the Acropolis, Temple of Poseidon, Coliseum, Pantheon and the Eiffel Tower. “I walked through buildings and churches built in BC, it was just amazing,” said Menzie. Menzie said that her favorite country that she visited was the Netherlands, where she stayed in a town called Maastricht.
“It was a beautiful old section of the Netherlands with cobblestone streets,” said Menzie. One interesting experience that stood out in Menzie’s mind was when her husband came to visit her in Greece, where they decided to take a train. They were surrounded by a crowd of people and became separated. “My husband felt something brush on his lower leg, but thought nothing of it,” said Menzie. And within a split-second, his wallet was gone. He had been pick-pocketed. They found the nearest police station but were told by a police officer that they could only report the wallet lost. If they wanted to
Parthenon
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Greek to me: The Parthenon, in Athens, Greece, is one of many historically significant and impacting sites that Menzie visited during her trip to Europe.
e
Cliff hanger: Kathy clings for dear life at Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, Scotland.
report it stolen, they would have to take a train and then walk to the next police station. Ultimately, they made the decision to simply report it as lost and forgo the extra trip. When Menzie visited the International Herald and the Dagblad de Limberg newspapers, she was struck by the similar challenges the publications face in comparison to those in the newspaper media in the United States. “They were trying to figure out what to do with the Internet, what to do about losing subscribers and determining who their readers are and what people like,” said Menzie. Menzie took an international politics course while she was at Cambridge University that was filled with students from vari-
ous countries including Mexico, Romania and Spain. “It was amazing to talk to people from all over the world and to hear how they viewed the United States,” said Menzie. Reflecting on the experience, Menzie said that she feels like a different person and recommends that all teachers and students take a sabbatical. “There’s nothing as eye-opening or mind-bending as international travel,” said Menzie. “It makes you appreciate living in the United States. We have so many advantages and opportunities that many other countries don’t.” Barb DeSanto, professor and chair of the mass media department, thinks that there is a high value in international travel. “People need to get out and refresh their mind,” said DeSanto. “When you are doing the same thing, you get tunnel vision.”
Venice, I ta
ly
Set in stone: Senior Karl Fundenberger poses in front of Castle Menzies, home of the Clan Menzies in the Scottish Highlands.
Roman Coliseum
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Alumni Class Notes
Where Are You Now? • The Mass Media department and alumni would love to see what you’ve been up to since your graduation. Send us updates on all things new: jobs, marriage, babies, accomplishments. E-mail:
regina.cassell@washburn.edu Call:
785.670.1836
Or mail to:
Mass Media Department Washburn University 1700 SW College Ave. Topeka, KS 66621
Save the Date April 14, 2009 Mass Media Banquet
Tiffany Cowan Bruce
Bruce, 1997, is the Director of Marketing and Public Information at Tri County Technology Center in Bartlesville, Okla. Her work group handles all internal and external communications, and hospitality and events. She married Austin Bruce in 2003 and they have a daughter, Laramie Rae, born in 2006.
Chelle Dell Decker
Decker, 1997, has worked since June 2007 as Marketing Director for Topeka Civic Theatre and Academy, Topeka, Kan. She is happy to be working full-time at a place where she had been a volunteer for years. She has performed on stage at TCT since 1996. On the side, Decker continues to deejay for Country Legends 106.9 where she can be heard weeknights from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Mike Edwards
Edwards, 2001, began working in February at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo. as the regional development Director. He recently graduated from a nine-month leadership pro-
gram with the Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce that focuses on leadership in the community and state and local government.
Dave Uhler
Uhler, 2002, is working at the Topeka Capital-Journal as the multimedia production manager where he does everything from shooting and editing video to online media production. He received third place in the 2007 Wild West Film Festival. He and his wife, Laurie, were married in October 2007.
Kristy Wolfe Graham Graham, 1998, is relocating in May to Denver to pursue other opportunities for her career.
Mandy Brock Graham Graham, 2000, is a speech pathologist working for Morrison Potter & Associates Inc., Hiawatha, Kan.
Albert Guardado Jr. Guardado, 1998, mass media graduate with a public relations emphasis, is marketing director for Ringside, the Lenexa-based distributor of boxing equipment.
Curtis Kitchen
Kitchen, 2002, is working for Union Broadcasting in Kansas City. He follows local, regional and national sports as a producer and columnist.
Corey Merrill
Merrill, 2007, volunteered earlier this year to be deployed to northern Iraq. He is a member of the Kansas National Guard providing security for the outer perimeter of the Forward Operating Base and also providing logistical support.
Angel Morales
Morales, 1995, has been in the kids marketing industry for more than 12 years. He is the managing director for Creative Consumer Concepts Inc. in Overland Park, Kan. C3i builds and communicates brands to millions of kids and their families nationwide. Morales recently competed in the One Lap of America, a Motorsports competition that takes place in 14 racetracks around the U.S.
More class notes on page 17
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Alumna Profile Martha Piland
Journey pays off with self-made career By Chris Marshall Martha Bartlett Piland’s path to becoming a CEO is a perfect example of how persistence pays off. The head of MB Piland Advertising & Marketing established her company in 1998 and became known for the development of a unique Fat Free marketing approach that adapts easily to clients’ needs. However, achieving the status of CEO, and the opportunity to run a business on her own terms, did not come easily for Piland. After graduating, she endured what all current mass media students fear: she delayed her search for a dream career, and accepted a job that was seemingly unrelated to her degree from Washburn. “It was a little bit of a journey,” said Piland. “After college, I started out in retail. From there I worked eight years for Ad Mark, but I felt like it was time for a new challenge, and I spent a year working as a marketing director for a health care company.” Although her progression through various jobs eventually led to marketing-related employment, Piland was not satisfied spending the rest of her life as a director in health care. “I started getting restless and was starting to daydream, sometimes out loud, about starting my own agency,” said Piland. “My husband asked me, ‘Well, why can’t you do that?’ So I thought, ‘You know, maybe I can.’” Piland knew leaving her
Photo by Corey Jones Piland power: Martha Piland knows the key to success is a process. Her advice to new graduates is to keep an open mind and learn skills that will build a solid foundation for a career.
post as a marketing director to begin her own venture with MB Piland was a risk, but the payoff made the decision worthwhile. “Since it’s a small business, I do a little bit of everything,” said Piland. “I’m responsible for having the vision of where the company’s going. I offer guidance for the growth of the people who work with me. Also, I’m involved in the creative process of working with clients. That’s the fun part.” While the creativity of marketing and advertising interests Piland most, her employees appreciate the work ethic she displays while interacting with both clients
and others in the workplace. “When she asks you to do something, you have a good example to follow,” said Alex Reilly, account director for MB Piland. “Good leaders lead by example, and she has a very good work ethic. She works hard and you try to keep up with her as best you can.” Reilly first worked with Piland in 1995 and followed her along the way as she moved up the corporate ladder and into her current position. Piland’s rise to CEO was assisted by strategies that she still uses today when she wants to present herself to clients as being the best. “If you’re someone who’s good at not giving up, really
position yourself as someone who has tenacity,” said Piland. “Promote that, and sell yourself. Always go the extra mile to present and market yourself to them.” After all the jobs Piland worked on the way to her current position, MB Piland’s prospective clients will never have a reason to question the CEO’s persistence. “Sometimes jobs aren’t exactly what you want when you graduate, but you can always think about how it could help,” said Piland. “I kept an open mind when I worked in retail and I learned skills that helped me later in my career.” massmediamessenger
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AlumnaMandy Profile Miller Quick Facts about Mandy Miller • Grew up in Iola, Kan.
Triple major blazes legislative trail
• 2007 Washburn
University graduate
• Triple Threat
Major–mass media, political science and communication
• Legislative assistant to Derek Schmidt
• Considers editing class
the most beneficial class she has ever taken
“
I love the pace of my work and I really like dealing with the people of the district.
”
Mandy Miller
Photo by Corey Jones
Movin’ Miller: Mandy Miller left an impression on Washburn with former professor Kathy Menzie saying she would not be surprised if Miller ended up president of the United States.
By Caleb Wasson
5 16 massmediamessenger
Growing up as the middle child of three girls in Iola, Kan., Mandy Miller knew she wanted to get involved in politics someday. She chose to attend
Washburn University “on a whim” because she figured it would be a good idea to live in Topeka, the very center of Kansas politics. While most college students are kept busy with one major, she chose three: mass
media, political science and communication. “Without a doubt, mass media has helped me the most,” said Miller, a 2007 graduate. “Editing, by far, was the most beneficial class I have ever taken. To this day, I live with my AP stylebook. It is on my desk right now.” The desk Miller speaks of sits in the State Capitol Room on the fourth floor, where she serves as the legislative assistant to Derek Schmidt, Senate Majority Leader. These days her time is not dominated by writing term papers or planning for fictional public relations scenarios. Her time is instead dominated by constituent services and legislation tracking. Sometimes this means taking and returning phone calls, other times it means traveling across the state to survey flood damage. “I love the pace of my work and I really like dealing with the people of the district,” said Miller. “Interacting with constituents is the best part of my job.” Miller’s work ethic and success come as no surprise to one of her former professors, Kathy Menzie. “She was an outstanding student who consistently worked hard no matter what she was doing,” said Menzie, assistant professor of mass media. “It would not surprise me if she ended up as the first woman president.”
Alumni class Notes
Nick Quaintance
Quaintance, 2007, has joined Jones Huyett Partners as an assistant account executive. His appointment comes after completing his summer internship with the firm. Quaintance’s role has him assisting the client services department, providing video production support and conducting research projects.
Cody Robertson
Robertson, 2002, is an associate attorney with the law firm of Goodell, Stratton, Edmonds & Palmer LLP, in Topeka, where he practices primarily in the areas of health care and general business law. He is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association and the Kansas Association of Hospital Attorneys.
Michelle Simon
Simon, 2006, is now the Human Resources Compensation and Benefits Manager for Prairie Band Casino and Resort, Mayetta, Kan. Previously she was events marketing coordinator, requiring Simon to use her mass media skills. In
her new position she handles all the company’s insurance, using college skills she never thought she would.
Natasha Sims
Sims, 2007, has accepted the Communications Specialist position at Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. She is excited to put her mass media skills to work designing, writing, copy editing, web design, PR, advertising and even Spanish.
Jeannine Snyder
Snyder, 2007, began working in January as the coordinating editor of Farm Collector magazine as well as the copy editor of both Gas Engine Magazine and Motorcycle Classics for Ogden Publications in Topeka. She is living in Lawrence.
Jennifer Taylor
Taylor, 2006, lives and works in Dodge City, Kan. She is employed by the Dodge City Public Schools in the Office of Communication and Public Information as a public information specialist. One of her focuses is “The School Zone,” a two-page spread in the Dodge
Show your Ichabod pride. Join the Washburn Alumni Association! Members enjoy a wide variety of benefits and discounts. Learn more and join online.
www.washburn.edu/alumni “The Washburn Alumni Association, bringing alumni together to promote fellowship and serve their alma mater.”
City Daily Globe weekly, that focuses on students, faculty and staff.
Patty Taylor Weaver
Weaver, 1999, has been promoted to the position of director of corporate marketing at Walton Construction, Kansas City, Mo. Her responsibilities include developing and managing company-wide marketing programs and standards, assisting with the strategic planning effort, coordinating internal and external company communications, including national public relations and advertising strategies.
Dan Wiggs Wiggs, 2007, is the marketing director at the Educational Credit Union in Topeka. He and his wife, Amy, were married in June of 2007.
James Wilper
Wilper, 2005, is in Glasgow, Scotland, getting his master’s in Reading European Cultures (European Cultural Studies) at the University of Glasgow. His plan is to pursue his doctorate degree in London, England.
TIM’S PAINT WORKS COLLISION SERVICES 785 .234.1016
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17
In the Classroom Mass media turns to blogging “ ” For some of them, this could be a way they are discovered.
Maria RaichevaStover
By Nick Sloan As blogging becomes more popular, there is a greater chance mass media students may experience it in a course at Washburn University. Whether it’s politics, sports or just blogging about life’s frustrations, students in the mass media department are being encouraged, and in some cases required, to blog. Depending on the course, blogging experiences can be quite different. Assistant Professor Kathy Menzie said she often uses blogging for her public relations courses. As part of her class, she arranges a crisis scenario and assigns students to blog about the event and provide information for would-be journalists. In the past, scenarios included a plane crash occurring just a few miles away from the check us out at: university and a sniper committing violence on campus. www.washburn.edu/getfit Menzie said blogging offers students the opportunity to do more things at a quicker rate. “It’s really available,” said Menzie. “Students can 18 massmediamessenger
Supporting student success through co-curricular opportunities
immediately login and only need 30 seconds to type it. It’s really easy to do. That makes it necessary for students to use and learn.” Menzie said blogging the assignments, compared to previous methods she used, allows for easier access for students who miss class or are on vacation. Assistant Professor Maria Raicheva-Stover said she asks students, most notably those who took her summer course, to blog about an issue once a week. She said students majoring in the program have the opportunity for exposure. Raicheva-Stover said the Topeka Capital-Journal has attempted to recruit students from Washburn to blog about events and issues on its Web site. “For some of them, this could be a way they are discovered,” said RaichevaStover. Last summer, students even produced videos and placed them on Raicheva-Stover’s Web site so classmates could view them.
A Pew Internet & American Life Project study in 2006 estimated the blogging population in the United States is 12 million, or about 8 percent of Internet users. Even more read blogs, as the same study showed 57 million adults read blogs. The readership figure represents 39 percent of the online population. Worldwide, blogging is even more popular. The blog search engine Technorati. com estimates there are more than 100 million blogs found worldwide, with 120,000 blogs being created each day. About 1.5 million posts are made per day, while 17 posts are made every second. Blogging has increased at such a quick rate many versions of Microsoft Word do not recognize the words “blog” or “blogging.” Students in Regina Cassell’s feature writing course are required to make a blog post once a week and blog a response to a fellow student’s blog. Sarah Farlee, media writing and publishing emphasis, said blogging helps prepare students in different ways. She said while blogging allows freedom, it still demonstrates to students how they may need to “censor themselves” sometimes when blogging because of the expanded audience. “For me, I have to sometimes teach myself,” Farlee said. “It teaches you about audience. At the same time, there’s a fine line with creativity.” As thousands of blogs will continue to be added daily on the Internet, both Menzie and Raicheva-Stover said there are many opportunities that can be exposed with students blogging.
Mass Media Graduates 2008 FALL 2007 MASS MEDIA GRADUATES
ite
Tricia Wh
Krysta
l Wiltz
Luke Dwyer Mallory Hatfield Valerie Holmes Trevor Kirkwood Jake Lebahn Jessica Mills Jeannine Snyder Daniel Wiggs
ll And erson
Valerie Holmes
Clad
Blow
Nathan M il
ler
Molly Howey
Corey Jones - Media Writing & Publishing
ADVERTISING SALES
Molly Howey - Media Writing & Publishing Danielle White - Advertising Tricia White - Public Relations Krystal Wiltz - Advertising
PHOTOGRAPHERS SPRING/SUMMER 2008 MASS MEDIA GRADUATES
Corde
MANAGING EDITOR
Cordell Anderson Ryan Bishop Chad Blow Brian Burkett Sarah Farlee David Ford Trista Freed Karl Fundenberger Faith Griffin Molly Howey Lacey Kinder Evan Linton Nathan Miller Adam Moranz Amanda Ottens Christine Pucek Matthew Resnick Amanda Schuster Paige Siegel Crystal Sinclair Brenda Snyder Paige Stonerock Cassandra Taylor Amanda Tompkins Melissa Treolo Caleb Wasson Tricia White Krystal Wiltz
Claudia Casas Guadarrama - Int’l student from Mexico Corey Jones – Media Writing & Publishing Shalyn Marsh - Media Writing & Publishing Danielle Smith - Media Writing & Publishing Clara Wilper - Public Relations
WRITERS
Brandon Bills - Media Writing & Publishing Sarah Farlee - Media Writing & Publishing Molly Howey - Media Writing & Publishing Shalyn Marsh - Media Writing & Publishing Linda Meyer - Media Writing & Publishing Nathan Miller - Media Writing & Publishing Travis Perry - Media Writing & Publishing Liliana Rendón López - Int’l student from Mexico Tricia White - Public Relations
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Andrew Dunlap - Public Relations Kathy Menzie - Faculty Andrew Roland - Public Administration
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Michael Bray - Media Writing & Publishing Chris Marshall - Media Writing & Publishing Nick Sloan - Media Writing & Publishing Caleb Wasson - Public Relations
FACULTY
Regina Cassell
rah
Sa
ee
l Far
*Spring and summer graduates are tentative
The 2008 Mass Media Messenger was produced as a part of MM431, Publication Layout and Design.
massmediamessenger
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