Mass Media Messenger Spring 2023

Mass Media Messenger

Spring 2023

Mass Media degrees in action

Kayshiona Acquaye

Karli Bayliss

Bailey Collar

Rhyan Cropper

Abby Davis

Connor Doel

Jonas Faria

Travossia Gardenhire

Rachel Janzen

Abigail LaFever

Emily McGinnis

Shelby Munoz

Jaycie Regnier

Gabby Van Sickle

Dalton White

Alexandra Younger

Contributors

Larissa Morgan

Christina Noland

Alyssa Storm

Faculty Adviser

Regina Cassell

The Mass Media Messenger is a departmental alumni magazine created during the fall and spring semesters by Washburn University students in MM 403 Advanced Professional Media Writing and is posted online at issuu.com/ massmediamessenger.

Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the 2023 spring issue of the Mass Media Messenger, the online magazine that showcases the work and achievements of the mass media department at Washburn University.

As editor-in-chief of this magazine, I am eager to share with you the accomplishments of our alumni, faculty, and students.

In this issue, we have prepared a variety of features for you to enjoy. You can read about the amazing experience of our students and faculty who spent 10 days in Paris, where they learned about digital and social content strategies from experts in the field. You can also find out what the 2023 keynote speaker, Dan Bennett, had to say and explore our recap of the fifth annual WIFI Film Festival. We have an abundance of alumni profiles, which we divided into four sections: those in top leadership, those behind the scenes of the capital city, those with a passion to serve, and those who represent all the many career paths available to mass media graduates.

I hope you will find this issue of Mass Media Messenger stimulating, enlightening, and entertaining. Alumni are at the core of our department. We’re thankful for all the alumni who partner with us and let us tell their stories. We have so many more to tell, and we look forward to hearing yours. See page 5 for all the ways you can connect with us.

Paris 2023

Eight students and one alumnus headed to Paris to experience Parisian culture and some behind-the-scenes media training with mass media professor and chair, Maria Stover. One of the many sights the group saw was Shakespeare and Company. (from left) Olivia Watson, Jess Siedel, Tiana Smith, Maggie Cabrera, Alyssa Storm, Daniel Lopez-Hernandez, Shiann Olberding, Elisha Havercamp and alumnus Terry Ralston.

photos courtesy of Alyssa Storm

After a 6-year break, mass media returns to the International Media Seminar in Paris

by Connor Doel & Emily McGinnis

On March 12, 2023, nine students, one alumnus, and one professor embarked on an eight-day trip to Paris after a six-year delay partially due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“Washburn has been offering this particular trip we call the International Media Seminar in Paris for more than 10 years,” said Maria Stover, professor and chair of mass media.

It takes a lot of work behind-the-scenes to not only set the trip up, but also to make sure students move efficiently through the process.

“This is a great trip,” Stover said. “We think of it as one of our flagship experiential learning experiences. It achieves many goals but on an educational level it really exposes students to the top professionals in the world of mass media who happen to work and live in Paris.”

Of course, no one could have predicted that students would be staying very close to protests that broke out in France when the government raised the retirement age from 62 to 64. It certainly added another layer to this year’s experience.

Jess Seidel said she was never worried about being near the protests in Paris, partly because of Stover’s familiarity with the city and her ability to keep the students on track with the educational experiences and the cultural opportunities.

“Paris was amazing,” Seidel said. “I really enjoyed getting to see another country’s political process in action. I loved visiting the Palace of Versailles, you really can't understand the opulence, even seeing it in person.”

The professionals that the students on the trip in the past have met are not just your average practitioner.

“Throughout the years we have talked to reporters for CNN, photographers for National Geographic, expert writers on various topics, and even contributors to fashion magazines,” Stover said. “The experience alone for Washbrun students to have that interaction with premiere professionals is already a significant goal.”

This year’s group of speakers included Gregoire

After arriving in Paris, seniors Maggie Cabrera and Alyssa Storm headed off with the travel party to explore The Eiffel Tower For most students, this was the first time they saw the famous landmark in person.

Morot, a partner at Favori, a global public relations firm, and Kathleen Beckett, who is currently a contributor to the New York Times, and a former staff writer with Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, and Vogue.

One of Seidel’s favorite guest speakers was Susan Perry, co-author of “Human Rights and Digital Technology: Digital Tightrope.”

Along with all of the top-level speakers, students were treated to a packed cultural itinerary, which included a boat ride on the Seine River, walking down the Champs Elysees, and exploring the the city’s marketplaces.

photo courtesy of Alyssa Storm

Alyssa Storm shares photos and reflections on her spring trip to Paris with her best friend and fellow senior Maggie Cabrera

“We were on the boat tour, and we were stuck there because there was another boat in our way. So, we thought might as well take some photos, but after a while of being on the river, it got so cold,” said Storm.

(above) Storm had to get a photo posing with a heart made of skulls on a wall of bones in the Paris Catacombs. Storm mentioned that she was interested in exploring the catacombs even further outside of what their tour guide was showing them.

(bottom right) Cabrera and Storm pose together at The Palais Royale “I’ve seen so many people take photos in this area, so I just had to snap one here,” said Cabrera.

photo courtesy of Maggie Cabrera and Alyssa Storm (top right) Later that first night, the Washburn group took a boat tour where they got to see the Eiffel Tower at night all lit up.

the food

photos courtesy of Alyssa Storm (top left) Storm couldn’t help snapping a picture of one her dinners one night after only paying 15 euro.

“It was insane to me that I got all of that for 15 euros; best steak I ever had,” said Storm.

(top middle) For the first night, Storm ate the classic French dish, escargot for dinner.

“They were really good,” Storm said. “I had snails before, but I wanted to eat them of course in Paris. It’s a classic.”

(top right) Storm tried her first macaroons in Paris.

“That was super exciting because that was one of the things I was like, ‘If I’m going to try it, I’m going to try it in Paris,” said Storm.

Storm said that the macaroons were really good but she was unsure if they would still be

good anywhere but Paris.

(bottom left) One of Storm’s favorite places that they stopped at was a cute restaurant that she said was famous for its gelato.

Gelato is the Italian word for ice cream and it is denser than typical ice cream.

Storm said that many of her fondest memories of the trip were when she would find little shops like this one that weren’t

apart of the mainstream tourist attractions. (bottom right) On an independent exursion, Storm took some time for herself and ordered a tasty breakfast while reading a book.

“The toast dipped in the eggs was my favorite part of this breakfast. I’ve never had eggs that way,” said Storm.

To hear more about Storm and Maggie Cabrera’s trip before and after Paris, you can listen to the second season of their podcast, AM in the Evening.

the landmarks

“I thought that it was an amazing piece of history,” said Cabrera. “Each room was different and very unique from each other. Like the Louvre, there was just so much to explore, especially outside of the palace.”

Out of respect for those who come to worship, the church does not allow indoor photography.

(right) After visiting Sacre Couer, Storm and her group walked down to the famous burlesque lounge, Moulin Rouge. Storm was shocked to learn what was inside.

“We walked our way down to Moulin Rouge, and I didn’t realize that this was basically a glorified strip club,” said Storm.

To see more photos from Paris, see page 56

photo courtesy of Maggie Cabrera and Alyssa Storm

(left) On the final day of the trip, the group visited the Palace of Versailles.

(from left) Jess Seidel, Tiana Smith and Cabrera all stand in the Hall of Mirrors.

(above) The students also

visited the still active church located at the highest point in Paris, Sacre Coeur. Storm said that they climbed about 300 steps just to get to the church.

Events pulls faculty, staff, alumni together

by Jaycie Regnier & Jonas Faria

The mass media program hosted a festive event on Thursday, April 13, 2023, in the Kansas Room of the Memorial Union. They had fun playing games and eating treats while listening to the keynote speech by Dan Bennett, a Washburn alumnus and regional vice president for Cumulus Media in Dallas/Houston, who also joined the Washburn Alumni Association Board of Trustees, recently.

Bennett, a media veteran and a '76 alumnus, shared his career advice with the students, using Tom Brady’s story as an example. Brady, a former NFL quarterback and a seven-time Super Bowl champion, was drafted 199th overall by the New England Patriots in 2000.

“He faced many rejections from the NFL teams but he became one of the greatest football players of all time,” Bennett said. “It’s hard to deal with job rejections, but you have to keep showing up and seize the opportunity when it comes, like Tom did.”

He recommended two books to the students: “The Power of Who: You Already Know Everyone You Need to Know” by Bob Beaudine and “Everyday Millionaires” by

Chris Hogan. He also talked about how to leverage your network in the industry.

Bennett emphasized the importance of using your personal connections rather than relying on impersonal websites or anonymous applications.

“This is about using your friends, family, and people you know in the industry,” he said.

He explained how working with familiar people can expand your opportunities and make things easier. He also advised students to apply proactively even if there is no specific job opening advertised.

“Every company has an opening that is not posted,” Bennett said. “You may be the right person for the job, as there are always changes being made.”

Bennett also gave some tips on how to handle the end

photo by Christina Noland Students in the MM421 and MM433 classes work together to plan and execute the Keynote Speaker Event, but there's always room for some fun.

(From left) Malachi Lewis, Shalynn Long, Larissa Morgan, Hayden Kalp, Callie Holthaus, Abby LaFever, and Hunter Wise; (on floor) Jess Seidel and Adin Replogle

of a job interview.

“You should always have one or two questions ready to ask when they ask you if you have any,” Bennett said. “The questions you ask should show that you are interested in the job and that you have done your homework.”

Bennett also stressed the importance of persistence and readiness when pursuing a job opportunity.

“You might think that it only takes a few calls to get in touch with a company,” Bennett said. “But the average is actually seven to nine calls, so you have to keep trying and be prepared for what they might offer.”

Bennett also addressed the fear of rejection that many students face when applying for jobs. He encouraged them to overcome this fear and pursue their career aspirations.

“I want you all to succeed after college,” Bennett said. “Be like Tom, and don’t let rejection stop you. He was rejected 198 times, but he made it on the 199th try and became the best ever.”

Bennett received the Mass Media Non Nobis Solum award from the Department of Mass Media for his dedication to his field and Washburn University.

The event also honored the outstanding students in each concentration area: Christina Noland (Student Media), Aja Carter (Contemporary Journalism), Adin Replogle (Film and Video), Jess Seidel (Mass Media

Service), and Halle Meister (PR/ Advertising).

Adin Replogle, who received

recognition

and video, expressed his gratitude.

“It feels nice to be noticed after working hard for so long. I want to make movies in LA and keep working on the next project. I want to keep the momentum going,” said Replogle.

The department also awarded 16 scholarships. The recipients were Hanna Andersen, Aja Carter, Humphrey Castillo, Sydney Conner, Jonas Faria, Emma Froese, Ciera Haner, Pamela Knoxsah, Malachi Lewis, Rebekah McIntosh, Darius Mitchell, Larissa Morgan, Jess Seidel, Tiana Smith, and Perla Soto.

photos by Larissa Morgan (left) Keynote speaker Dan Bennett was presented the Mass Media Non Nobis Solum award for his longtime commitment to the industry and Washburn's mass media.

During the evening, guests were encouraged to play games, which were hosted by students sitting at each table.

Professor and chair Maria Stover welcomes the guests.

photo by Christina Noland Students and guests go through the food line at the 2023 Keynote Speaker Event.

the

for film

WIFI Film Festival 2023 Wrap-Up

by Abby LaFever

The fifth annual WIFI Film Festival was April 21-23, in Topeka. The weekend kicked off with Friday night’s guest speaker, Leonora Analdua. Saturday's events at the Topeka & Shawnee County

included workshops, speaker panels, and

film screenings. Award-winning films were featured at Arts Connect in NOTO. Despite chilly temperatures, a small crowd gathered to watch "The Goonies" Saturday night at Evergy Plaza. The online award show on Facebook closed the event Sunday.

Featured Filmmakers

photos by Christina Noland

Leonora Anzaldua, photographer and filmmaker, speaks about her background at the opening event for WIFI 2023 in the Rita Blitt Gallery. Anzaldua shared samples of her photography and films.

Micah Brown, filmmaker, spoke at Evergy Plaza Saturday night. He entertained the crowd with personal stories and gave film students a long list of practical advice.

Team members from “The Pulpit” came to WIFI and did a Q&A about the film at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. (from left) Matthew Nyquist (mass media associate professor), Tosin Morohunfola (writer/director/producer), Christian Watkins (associate producer), Maria Stover (mass media professor and chair) and Christopher Commons (director of photography/associate producer).

Production Director for Cumulus Media Ethan Jackson hosted trivia before the movie at Evergy Plaza. Hunter Wise, a mass media student, looks to the crowd for some help.

Public Library

WIFI AWARDS 2023

graphic by Rachel Janzen

Golden Bowtie- Best Film Overall

“Same Old”

Producer:

Anthony Zhai Yang

Best film by Kansas

Middle/High school Student

“No Home: The Housing Crisis in Rural Kansas”

Director: Fabian Gracia Sustainabilit y Award

“Tarpuna: Guardians of the Coconut and the Mangrove”

Producer: Pilar Egüez Guevara

Golden Ichabod - Best Washburn FilmNarrative

“You Never Do”

Director: Rachel Janzen

Golden Ichabod - Best Washburn FilmDocumentary

“I Am ... Brihanna Jayde”

Director: Kris Bailey

Allan Holzman Award for Special

Achievement in Editing

“If I had wo rds to speak”

Director: Darria Dennison

Best DirectingDocumentary

“My Father in the Cloud”

Director: Ruth Patir

Best Cinematography Narrative

“White Lie”

Alon Lutsky

Best DirectingNarrative

“On/Off”

Director: Jurg Slabbert

Ivy Sunderji Screenwriting Award

“You Never Do”

Screenwriter: Mariah Rollwagen

Best EditingNarrative

“Fairplay”

Kenza Chekal

Best EditingDocumentary

“Mildred’s Escape: A WW2 Survival Story”

Gordon Lamb

Best Cinematography - Documentary

“ I Am ... Brihanna Jayde”

Kris Bailey

Washburn University President’s Award

“On/Off”

Director: Jurg Slabbert

Producers: Mia Cilliers, Katharina Stehle

photos by Christina Noland

For the past few years, Sue Vicory pulled together a panel of accomplished women filmmakers for WIFI.

The 2023 panel talked about what it is like being a woman in film and also living in the Midwest.

(from left) Lolo Loren, Jill Gevargizian, Matt Nyquist, Sue Vicory, Mary Pruitt, Darria Dennison, Jamie Morrow and Maria Stover.

Best Performance by an Actor

“Same Old”

Limin Wang

Best Performance by an Act ress

“Everybody Wants to be Loved”

Anne Ratte-Polle

Best Sound Design “Scale”

Dominic Fitzgerald

Best Costume “Fairplay”

Director: Zoel Aeschbacher

Excellence in Title Design

“Sonar”

Jeff Bedrick

Special Achievement in Social Progress

“Brushstrokes”

Director: Alexandra Alston

Producer: Patrícia Colmenero

Best Production Design

“Sonar”

Rosi Stamp

Congratulations to all winners!

Celebrating tenure and promotion

Matt Nyquist and Kristen Grimmer were granted tenure and promoted to associate professors. The duo works closely on the Keynote Speaker Event and the WIFI film festival

by Rachel Janzen

The life of a professor is a constantly moving machine that juggles grading, student needs, career research, department projects and much more than the average person realizes. Professors on tenure track have a looming goal that pushes them to achieve much more than is simply required of them.

After six years of working at a university, professors are eligible to earn tenure. Earning tenure is a long process that potentially threatens professor’s careers. Two mass media professors, Kristen Grimmer and Matthew Nyquist, can rest easy and celebrate, as they have both earned tenure as of spring 2023.

Associate professor of mass media Kristen Grimmer primarily teaches public relations classes.

“It’s always in the back of your mind from when you get hired that this will be coming one day. It truthfully just feels very overwhelming and then once you get to the other side, it’s relieving” said Grimmer.

Associate professor of mass media Matthew Nyquist predominantly teaches film and video courses while also advising the student organization Washburn Filmmakers Association.

“I’m grateful to have it. I’m thankful for the opportunity to help you guys and do it for a lot longer,” said Nyquist.

Earning tenure is a highly sought after achievement in the academia world. Tenure brings job security and a higher salary to those who earn it. For those who fail the process, they have the rest of the year to find a new job. Professors must create a comprehensive packet that demonstrates their ability to teach, their professional research, and the service they’ve done for their department. These packets are hundreds of pages long and include alumni testimonials, student opinions, student performance reports, proof of research projects, publications, awards and an extensive vitae.

“It takes a lot of extra effort to gather the amount of evidence you need. I ended up with 350 separate documents by the time I was done, ” said Grimmer.

Once the packet is created, the packet goes up the chain of command through many review boards and committees until it reaches the Washburn Board of Regents. For Grimmer and Nyquist, the process took over seven months for them to get their verdicts.

photo by Christina Noland

Associate professors Matt Nyquist and Kristen Grimmer work closely together behind-the-scenes on the details for the WIFI film festival. Grimmer’s attention to detail and task management support Nyquist’s creative vision for the festival.

Matthew Nyquist

Kristen Grimmer

Leading the

Reflections on a tech trendsetter

His resume includes stops at AT&T, Peapod and World Stream

by Jaycie Regnier

Bill Malloy, ’74, has always sought new opportunities that have led him to success. Although he never imagined that he would have a career in mass media, Malloy’s optimism and open-mindedness planted seeds of interest for his future career in the field.

Bill Malloy loves to stay busy and continue to explore and learn new things. He currently lives in Chicago, Illinois, and remains very involved at Washburn.

“I have enjoyed helping people and re-engaging with the university,” said Bill Malloy.

He and his wife, Malinda Malloy, have continued to support students each year. For the 2023 Day of Giving, the Malloys set up a $5,000 gift match.

“We are very thankful for Bill and Malinda Malloys’ generous support for our program,” said Maria Stover, professor and chair of mass media. “It comes at a crucial time for mass media as we grow our program and educational impact.”

With the help of Bill Malloy and other contributors over the years, the program has made significant improvements. He has made great efforts to become familiar with our current mass media department as well as making guest speaker appearances on campus.

“I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with Bill on several occasions,” said Stover. “He is one of those people who has an amazing ability to predict trends in our field. It’s a true honor to call him a mass media alum.”

Bill Malloy encourages all mass media students to stay diligent and ready for new opportunities.

“I always say it’s best to build a book,” said Bill Malloy. “Look around Topeka because there’s a whole world of experience and meaningful jobs that will help you hone your craft in the real world. Lastly, never underestimate the power of curiosity, hard work and persistence.”

Bill Malloy started working at an advertising agency in Oklahoma City and maintained that job throughout college and eight years after.

In 1985, he started working with a client, Craig McCaw, who was in the cellular business. The company started with 17 people and grew to over 10,000 when it became AT&T Wireless. He had various executive positions there involving digital networks and marketing.

In 1999, Bill Malloy became CEO of NASDAQ-listed Peapod and then CEO of World Stream. He continued to work with different early-stage technology companies and joined Sprint as the chief marketing officer.

Bill Malloy retired from Sprint in 2014 and continues to advise companies. But, before Bill Malloy’s successful career, he said he was just a kid trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life.

During high school, Bill Malloy started working for the local newspaper in his hometown of Clinton, Oklahoma, where he acquired writing and photography skills, but he never envisioned himself doing this for a living.

Bill Malloy took an interest in Washburn’s School of Law and was offered a scholarship, so he decided to attend. Once he arrived in Topeka, he searched for work and was offered a job at Topeka News.

“Being in Topeka and going to Washburn was this unique combination for me of amazing companies wanting to take a chance on a kid in college to do real work and build a book, and instructors that helped me get better at my craft,” said Bill Malloy.

Tom Marten, a good friend of Bill Malloy’s, graduated from Washburn in ‘73.

“Bill was always very bright and energetic,” said Marten. “We were both inquisitive people, which would sometimes cause us to get into interesting conversations that would last for hours and hours.”

Bill Malloy and Marten enjoy sending each other

“I don’t know a single person who doesn’t greatly admire Bill,” said Tom Marten.

news articles and have remained good friends over time.

“We’ve had one of those extraordinary friendships that have lasted all these years,” said Marten. “I don’t know a single person who doesn’t greatly admire Bill.”

The two were in the Fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon and were pledge brothers, which is how they became best friends.

Bill Malloy’s student experience was “action-packed” between class, work, and other things he was involved in on campus.

“I would often run on four hours of sleep a night, but I loved it,” said Bill Malloy.

Early in his college career, Bill Malloy decided to explore different majors, such as psychology, political science, and journalism. He became interested in working for the Topeka Capital-Journal but was eventually swayed toward advertising.

“Professor Doug Fender, the Journalism 101 professor, was a key figure when I was a student,” said Bill Malloy. “He helped me figure out my interests and gave me the idea to shift toward the creative writing and advertising route.”

Bill Malloy joined a group called the Student Goals Committee. John Henderson, the president of Washburn at the time, formed this committee.

“We came up with a self-serving idea called pass-fail with the idea of helping those students who struggle with classes outside of their major,” said Bill Malloy. “It was also a great opportunity for exploration.”

Bill Malloy and the Student Goals Committee also pushed the idea of getting the “machine room,” which was a room filled with typewriters and calculators.

“The machine room was a legendary thing to push through,” said Bill Malloy. “It was helpful for all students, especially if we had to run to the lab and write something quickly.”

A big goal for Bill Malloy and his peers was to establish a more prominent mass media presence at the university, as the communications department had only about five to six graduates. Jean Folkerts, one of his professors, was very transformative to the program as she introduced her students to journalists and writers of the time.

“We had enough of the professors in there who made enough of a difference at the time to help get the program where it is today,” said Bill Malloy.

While working at the Oklahoma agency in college, Bill Malloy was a writer but he also took on various photography and media editing jobs.

“By the time I worked for the agency and took the journalism class, I was still unsure of my major,” said Bill Malloy. “Fender pulled me aside and asked me, ‘Why don’t you major in this? You like it, don’t you?’ I really do. I enjoy creative writing and the rush of deadlines.”

After Washburn, Bill Malloy attended Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management and graduated with a management degree.

Since Bill Malloy’s time at Washburn, the mass media program became its own department with its own identity, providing multiple concentrations for students in the program.

“Identifying Bill as one of our first graduates is exciting,” Stover said. “His story brought to light the early history of the department. I also find it important for current students and alumni to be aware of the spectacular trajectory of his career.”

photo courtesy of Bill Malloy Bill Malloy, ’74, became CEO of two major media companies.

Dan Bennett makes his mark in Texas

by Abby Davis

At the age of 10, Dan Bennett, ’76, would ride his bike to the corner of 10th and Filmore streets to gaze through the windows of WREN Radio in Topeka, Kansas.

Now, Bennett is the regional vice president at Cumulus Media, overseeing seven radio stations in Texas. After 52 years of accomplishments, Bennett’s successes come from a positive attitude and a determination to help people pursue their goals.

Bennett’s career began at WREN Radio when he was 16 years old and in high school. During this time, he worked part-time on the weekends as a DJ. Years later, as a sophomore in college, he was moved up to the afternoon show and became a fulltime employee. Bennett continued working full-time at WREN while attending Washburn as a full-time student.

“I would take classes in the morning and then get to WREN by one o’clock in the afternoon to work,” said Bennett. “When you have to do both, you learn time management.”

Around graduation time, Bennett met his wife, Rosy Parris-Bennett. Together, they decided to leave Topeka to pursue careers in a bigger city. By late 1983, holding the general manager role of his station, Bennett and his wife left for Dallas.

“We said whoever got the job first, the other would follow,” said Bennett. “As luck would have it, she

got the job first, so I followed her. Once I got in the door, everything happened in a positive way.”

For the last 39 years, Bennett has been working at Cumulus Media’s Dallas/Houston stations. As the

photo courtesy of Dan Bennett Bennett, ‘76, works as the regional vice president of Cumulus Media for the Dallas/ Houston regions. He is “living proof” that Washburn University graduates can make it anywhere, especially if they are willing to earn their shot.

regional vice president, Bennett starts his day bright and early by getting to his office at 6 a.m. One of the most important things he does is handle the money. Bennett’s proudest career accomplishment has been helping the Dallas/ Houston market become Cumulus Media’s biggest market for revenue for the entire company.

“For revenue and cash flow, we are bringing in three times what the number two market in the company does,” said Bennett. “So, we are a real big part of our company.”

Bennett credits this success to his employees. While tracking sales and generating revenue are an essential part of the job, Bennett finds significant value in helping people become better at what they do. He uses a people-based management style that is built on a foundation of mutual respect and trust. When Bennett decides to retire in the future, he is confident that his employees will be able to fill his shoes.

“I always viewed that my job is to try and help employees be better at their job and improve as an employee to the point where I can promote them,” said Bennett. “Every employee we hire, I try to learn something from.”

Jim Quirk, a senior account executive, began working for Cumulus Media at the age of 21, starting only six months before Bennett. Throughout their time working together, Quirk has come to know Bennett in the professional sense, as well as personally. Quirk highlights the unique career path Bennett took – beginning with radio programming and later transferring to upper management – and

describes Bennett as a focused and fair leader of Cumulus Media.

“One thing he does that people are amazed by is he’s not afraid to roll up his sleeves and do the dirty work,” said Quirk. “He can be very demanding, and he expects a lot, but he is enormously fair and has a lot of empathy too.”

Bennett believes in the good that media can bring to people. Last year, Bennett’s radio stations raised $2.2 million for various charities.

An article by Tom Stephenson published in D CEO Magazine outlines many of Bennett’s major awards and milestones within his time at Cumulus Media.

“I have each of the stations do things to help the community,” said Bennett. “I get a lot more satisfaction by helping other people achieve their dream or goal and seeing someone else win.”

The importance of giving back to the community is rooted in the way Bennett was raised, as well as a few unfortunate life events. He recalls a time when his wife was financially burdened by the death of her father in the middle of college, and how she would have never made it through without the help of scholarships. Now that the couple is financially well, they put away money every month into a scholarship account to give Washburn students the opportunity for continued education.

“It’s about giving back because I’ve been there at one point and the scholarship money really helps people,” said Bennett. “What is really cool about the students of Washburn is that every year, the students write us letters – and we keep them.”

Bennett speaks to many schools in the Texas area and was excited to speak at the 2023 Mass Media Keynote Speaker Event where he was presented with the Non Nobis Solum award, which is Latin for not for ourselves alone, a mass media alumni award given to those who have made a lasting impact in their communities through their media careers.

One focus Bennett made in his speech is what it takes to get a job –drive, worth ethic, and positivity.

“Whatever your dream is, you can get there from here, meaning Washburn,” said Bennett. “You can get just as good of an education at Washburn as you can anywhere else, and I’m living proof.”

Bennett encourages students to reach for their goals. He believes having confidence and a positive mindset is essential. One last piece of advice from Bennett is to stay away from negative people.

“If somebody said, ‘do you want to be 22 again?’ I would say sure, but only if I could take my 68-year-old mind with me, because you learn that negative people are just bad news that will keep you from your dream and your goal,” said Bennett.

“You can get just as good of an education at Washburn as you can anywhere else, and I’m living proof,” said Dan Bennett.

A passion for food guides career

From innovative campaigns to social media strategies that sizzle, Alicia Mowder has impacted the food industry

by Charlize Easter

Alicia Mowder, ’08, has always had a passion for food and marketing. Her passion for food has driven her to create unique and innovative campaigns that connect with consumers from different backgrounds and cultures, engage them with food-related content, and keep up with the latest trends and innovations in the complex and evolving food industry.

Mowder is now the vice president for growth at Panera Bread, where she oversees the company’s category growth strategy. Her journey is an inspiration to those who also share her love for food and media.

“I’m always looking for what the next big idea is, what new product is going to become our guests’ new favorite thing to order at Panera,” Mowder said. “Food is so much more than just a product; it creates a deep emotional connection that can be shared with others to inspire, educate and entertain. I can’t imagine not using my marketing skills and passion to connect with people and play even a small role in their lives. For me, it truly is the best job ever.”

Mowder’s first job out of college was at Payless Shoe Source, where she worked as a merchandise distribution planner. Mowder gained valuable insights into the business world there and she also took the time to work on her master’s degree, which enabled her to advance to the position of media and marketing operations manager.

“Food is my true love; I found that out after working at Payless,” Mowder said. “Fashion was not something I had a passion for. While attending various study

abroad programs at Washburn, I was impressed by the amazing flavors and cultures that I tasted and learned about. They showed me how much more there was to food than what I grew up with.”

Mowder spent five years working for the corporate office of Sonic Drive-In, where she rose to the position of senior director of brand marketing. She was responsible for cooking up innovative products and campaigns for the national brand, such as the Sonic Slinger, a blended burger that married mushrooms and beef, which won a MenuMasters Award in 2018.

“I had a blast working at Sonic Drive-In,” Mowder said. “My job was to eat and talk about food all day long. I was like a kid in a candy store, except with burgers and fries. My day-to-day involved working with different teams to plan and execute marketing campaigns that showcased our unique food and experience. I also monitored our brand performance and customer feedback to ensure we were delivering on our promise of satisfying our customers. It was a fast-paced and rewarding job that kept me on my toes.”

Mowder bid farewell to Sonic in 2018 and hopped on board Circle K as a senior director of global marketing. She relocated to North Carolina and embraced the challenge of steering the marketing strategy for the worldwide convenience store giant. At Circle K, Mowder orchestrated a national marketing blitz across 7,000 locations in the United States, raking in $37 billion in revenue every year.

“I wasn’t aware of the convenience store brand, Circle K, when the recruiter called me about the role,” Mowder

photo courtesy of Alicia Mowder Alicia Mowder, ‘08, is the vice president for growth at Panera Bread, where she oversees the company’s category growth strategy.

In 2018, Mowder won the MenuMaster award for Sonic Drive-Ins Best Limited-Time Offer: Sonic Signature Slinger at Sonic Drive-In. It was the first “blended burger” made with 25% cooked mushrooms combined with beef for a patty that was gentler on the environment.

thriving in the vibrant and global environment. During her time, she led the company’s first national marketing campaigns and rolled out a fresh brewed coffee program to every store. Mowder loved leading the marketing strategy with such a broad scope. However, when the COVID pandemic hit, she felt a strong pull to move back to Kansas to be closer to her family.

“Circle K gave me a great opportunity, but I was excited to start a new chapter at Panera Bread,” Mowder said.

With all of her accomplishments, it’s no surprise that she was invited to give an presentation on April 6, 2023, for the Wake Up with Washburn Breakfast lecture series that is co-sponsored by the Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation and the Washburn University School of Business.

Rebekah McIntosh, a mass media freshman, attended Mower’s presentation.

“She’s really good at public speaking, and it’s inspiring to see people purse their passion,” McIntosh said. “Rather than settling with a job she didn’t enjoy, she kept at her passion and was rewarded for it.”

Mowder combined her skills and enthusiasm for food to create an impressive career in the industry. With her sharp marketing skills, Mowder became an integral part of the food industry, helping numerous restaurants and food brands to grow their businesses. She has an eye for detail and a strong drive for success, which helps her excel.

When Mowder was an undergraduate in mass media, she had Maria Stover, who is now the department chair, as one of her professors.

said. “But after learning what they were doing to bring fresh food to its locations, it drew me in. It ended up being a really smart decision for my career.”

Mowder worked at Circle K for nearly three years,

“She applies everything she’s learned with mass media on a daily basis: oral communication, group work and professionalism,” Stover said. “These are important qualities we try to instill in our students, both back then and now. I was impressed by how she merged her career path with her passion. She really had a positive impact on current students and connected the dots between career and passion.”

“I had a blast working at Sonic DriveIn,” said Alicia Mowder. “My job was to eat and talk about food all day long. I was like a kid in a candy store, except with burgers and fries."

photo by Charlize Easter Alicia Mowder spoke April 6, 2023, as the featured speaker for the Wake Up with Washburn Breakfast lecture series.

photo courtesy of Alicia Mowder

Capital City AlumniAlumni

Capitol - Image by mybasicpersonality on Etsy

Court writing allows creative flair

by Jonas Faria

The ability to comb through government documents and create a version accessible to the average reader is not a skill everyone possesses.

Lisa Taylor, '98, puts her creativity and writing ability to work every day in an environment known for its jargon and massive never-ending texts: the Kansas Supreme Court.

Taylor became the public information director responsible for the public communication of an entire branch of the Kansas state judiciary, and she succeeded Ron Keefover, who founded the court’s public information office in 1981 and retired in September 2013.

At that time, Taylor knew she had to do what she was good at and be herself in this position.

“I cannot possibly do what [Keefover] did because I do not know what he knows, but I know writing and creating," said Taylor. “I’m going to write; I’m going to create and that’s what I have done.”

According to Breckyn Rowley, '21, communications specialist on Taylor’s team, Taylor is a constant learner, always trying to stay current.

“She never leaves a question unasked; she is always looking for new ways to do things,” said Rowley.

One innovation that Taylor implemented in the office was color. She likes to say that she brought color to the judicial branch, amid so many black and white texts. She worked on a re-brand to make

communications more accessible, attractive, and simple.

One example of Taylor’s work includes the booklets prepared for the audience to read before the court is in session. These materials are to familiarize the lay audience with terms and conduct of the judicial environment.

Taylor explains that this special language in the courts facilitates communication between the judges and the lawyers, but sometimes leaves the public without a clear understanding of what is going on.

Taylor positions herself as a great advocate of plain language in everything she produces: brochures, reports, photos, and videos.

With more than 23 years working for the state of Kansas, 10 of those years in the judicial branch alone, Taylor is proud of how communication has evolved and continues to evolve. She is currently setting up a studio together with her team.

“You feel like you are doing something valuable and important, and it means something to my neighborhood because you want to be able to rely on the court system to help you,” said Taylor. “How can I make the public explanation of the Kansas court system easy for people to understand, easy to consume? I feel that is my role. I love the state government.”

But Taylor does remember a time when she was not so sure. With a definite goal of writing and being creative, she moved to Dallas, Texas, after graduating and wrote copy for six months for the Department

of Defense at the Army and Air Force Exchange Service. But, Texas was not for her, so she returned to Kansas.

After applying for different jobs in communications, the best offer came from the state, at the Department of Agriculture. But Taylor said she was reluctant to work in such a “non-creative” place.

“What I found out about state government is that it’s infinitely interesting because the stuff that state government does is technical, complex, and it is like a neverending stream of information,” said Taylor. “And that satisfies my curiosity.”

photo courtesy of Jonas Faria

Lisa Taylor recalls a reporting class with Vickie Hawver, a former Topeka CapitalJournal reporter and editor who had her own news distribution company. The reports on the government and what was happening at the statehouse piqued Taylor’s curiosity.

Cycling to the Capital

by Kayshiona Acquaye

Karl Fundenberger, ’08, is not your typical media specialist. He is also a bicycle advocate, a TEDx speaker, an art activist, and a former director of Kansas’ first bikeshare program. His passion for cycling and urban design goes beyond his work. He has volunteered in Iceland, started his own company, and helped launch an art collective.

As the media specialist for the Kansas Legislative Research Department, he now brings information to the Legislature and to the rest of Kansas with transparency and technology, which comes with a sacrifice.

“It’s a nonpartisan role,” said Fundenberger. “I can’t post anything political on my Facebook or Twitter. I have to remain publicly neutral. My wife can have all the things -bumper stickers and donations to campaigns. But I can’t have political yard signs or even bumper stickers.”

This rule of neutrality allows team members within his department to work with anyone in the statehouse, regardless of political affiliation.

“My whole job is to try and modernize our research department,” said Fundenberger. “Our research department publishes many thousands of pages regarding state budgets, notes about bills, state finances, and plain English summaries of what the Legislature is doing.”

Fundenberger’s role is to modernize the research

department’s website and publications and make them accessible beyond the standard PDF files.

Keri Renner, '03, is the director of marketing and communications for Topeka Metro, and she has known Fundenberger for many years. Renner and Fundenberger crossed paths at Topeka Metro and previously when he was designing websites with Frye Allen.

“Karl was always positive and great to work with,” said Renner. “He was really good at fostering relationships in the community.”

Fundenberger loves his work and his family, but he also has a burning passion for cycling and promoting it in the community. Considering all the ways Fundenberger has been a part of the Topeka community, it’s hard to imagine that he would want to be anywhere else.

But, the Topeka High School graduate once had a dream of leaving town after graduating from Washburn. When it got close to graduation time, Fundenberger started sending his resume to agencies across the East coast.

“I sent my resume all over the place, really put it out there,” Fundenberger said. “I sent it to agencies in Chicago, New York, Baltimore, Boston and Philly. I was looking at openings - writing a nice letter each time and this was back in 2008- right when the recession hit. I had sent out 50 resumes and heard back from zero.”

With no word back from anyone,

Fundenberger kept his job with WIBW where he created graphics and worked on the station’s website, and then, he started to see things in a different light.

“I realized that Topeka had a lot of potential and a lot of challenges,” Fundenberger said. “I wanted to be part of the solution, not just complain about the problems.”

Fundenberger then got a job working with a political campaign.

“When we lost, that job went away, and I was basically freelancing for two and a half years after college, mostly because of the recession; most agencies were cutting staff because of tight budgets,” Fundenberger said.

However, in 2010, Fundenberger was recruited to work for Frye Allen

photo courtesy of Karl Fundenberger

Karl Fundenberger, '08, has worn many hats since graduating.

Advertising, a well-known local agency.

It was exciting for Fundenberger to have his first job in advertising. The company reached out to him in 2010, searching for a social media person.

Fundenberger worked for the agency for two years until it went out of business, and he once again found himself as a freelancer, which he said was “an unpredictable and rocky road.”

“Freelancing is really tough and requires a lot of help -- help I didn’t ask for or seek out,” said Fundenberger. “The good that came from the agency closing was that they were able to turn over a few clients to me, which helped to keep me afloat for quite a while.”

Despite some healthy financial deposits, he faced a lot of inconsistency in his income. While he appreciated being his own boss, Fundenberger said he needed a fulltime job.

“Now that I look back, I think some different choices might have made me more successful,” said Fundenberger. Yet, he does not regret his choice to keep moving forward in his career.

While Fundenberger’s current work reflects his passion for information and technology, he also has a creative side.

During his time in Student Media, Fundenberger worked as a reporter, photographer, and designer.

“It was fun to develop those skills alongside the work from

my classes,” Fundenberger said. “I was getting real life skills, writing and working with an editor, and working on a deadline.”

Fundenberger also created and wrote columns for the Washburn Review - Karl’s Kars and Karl’s Kulture - where he reviewed cars and local arts events.

“It was a great experience,” Fundenberger said. “I got to drive some cool cars, interview some interesting people, and work with some talented editors. I was also staying true to my creative self, which was a fun challenge and a good learning exercise that would come in handy later on and for what I still continue to do today.”

Bike - Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

King prospers at Kansas governor’s office

by Rhyan Cropper to director of appointments.

Originally born and raised in Satanta, Kansas, a rural town in the southwest part of the state, Melissa King, ‘20, now works alongside Gov. Laura Kelly, arguably, the state’s most influential politician.

Early in her college career, King built an impressive resume of internships that helped her gain the experience and skills to be competitive.

“I started on Governor Kelly’s campaign in 2018, which is how I got introduced to her and her team and then after the election in 2018, I interned for the Kansas Senate for a session,” said King. “Fast forward to the fall of 2019, I started as an intern in the governor’s office and eventually came on full-time in January 2021.”

King graduated with a double major in mass media and political science and her career has blossomed since at the governor’s office as she was recently promoted

In her current role, King continues to use the skills she learned in college to help her succeed.

In King’s new job, she is in charge of overseeing the entire appointments office for the governor, where they work with about 200 state boards and commissions. King and her team also coordinate the appointment process for all of Gov. Kelly’s political appointments.

“Most of my days consist of interviewing, recruiting, and attending internal meetings and preparing people for Senate confirmation,” said King. “That is where a lot of my mass media skills come in handy.”

At a young age, King had an interest in media so when she started at Washburn, she went directly into studying mass media with a concentration in journalism. However, after taking Intro to Mass Media, she ultimately decided to pursue public relations to

complement her political science major.

“I felt that pursuing a concentration in public relations would be a better fit for me because I was also interested in politics and government,” King said. “I thought that PR would balance nicely with political science. Studying PR and political science at the same time was a good balance for me and gave me the skills I needed to be successful in my career field.”

Kristen Grimmer, an associate mass media professor, had King in many public relations classes.

“First of all, she is an incredibly smart person,” Grimmer said. “She was super hard-working and the assignments she turned in always went above and beyond.”

Throughout King’s time in mass media, Grimmer reflected on the

photo courtesy of Melissa King King (second from right) poses with her campaign crew along with Gov. Laura Kelly (middle). King spent 2018 working hard and campaigning for Kelly’s bid for governor.

years of having her in class and a core memory stood out to her that demonstrates who she is as a person.

“It’s not necessarily a happy memory, but in spring of 2019, Melissa was in my public relations class along with student Dwane Simmons and that was the spring that he was murdered,” said Grimmer. “It was really hard for all of us, but I remember Melissa being like this pillar of support for her classmates.”

Grimmer remembers how King’s empathy helped her fellow classmates and friends persevere through it.

“Not only is Melissa an amazing professional, but she also showed compassion and poise during a time that was hard on everyone,” said Grimmer.

Grimmer made sure to keep updated on King’s progress throughout her internships.

“During her internship with the governor right before she graduated, I spoke to her intern supervisor there and he told me how much he loved working with Melissa because she was motivated and always took the initiative,” Grimmer said. “So, I wasn’t all that surprised when she was offered a job with the governor right after graduation, but that’s who Melissa is - a shining star.”

Grimmer credited much of King’s career success to her hard work and dedication throughout school and her internships.

“All of that work that she’d put into each internship and class gave her the extra edge,” said Grimmer.

King has gained several versatile skills while working in the governor’s office such as timemanagement, handling a high-

volume of work, and being able to work in a fast-paced, stressful environment.

Choosing a favorite aspect about her job was difficult for King as she looks forward to going to work every day.

“One of the best parts of my job is getting to work with such an amazing team of very talented people,” said King.

King shared her advice for mass media students preparing to begin their careers.

“Network as much as you can, apply for as many internships as you can, and don’t get discouraged because a lot of it is who you know,” said King.

Grimmer expressed her admiration for King’s notable achievements.

“I’m just so proud of everything she’s

accomplished, and I’m proud that I had a small role in that,” said Grimmer. “It’s always very exciting when I see how successful students are because I know it is well deserved.”

King revealed her future career plans and doesn’t intend on going anywhere anytime soon.

“I definitely want to stay in government because I love getting to work on behalf of the people of Kansas and that joy never fades,” said King.

“I love getting to work on behalf of the people of Kansas and that joy never fades," said Melissa King.

photo courtesy of Melissa King Melissa King serves as the director of appointments at the Kansas governor’s office. She was promoted to this position in January 2023.

Service to Others Others

Hands - Image by Freepik

Life-coaching business takes off

by Shelby Munoz

Mikale Burcher, '11, also known as Mikki, has taken all she’s experienced and poured it into her new life-coaching business, which she simply calls Mikale Burcher.

During her time in mass media, Burcher held multiple internships, was the editor-in-chief for three different publications, and was the news editor for Student Media. Burcher graduated with a double major in mass media and English. She later went back to Washburn University to get a master’s degree in liberal arts. Now, she’s a business owner dedicated to giving life-coaching advice to women.

Burcher has gone through many hardships during her life. At times, she said she felt sad, angry, and hopeless. However, through it all, Burcher found a passion in sharing her story with other women who were also going through difficult situations.

Burcher soon realized that with her educational and professional background, she had the skills to share her story and advice from a professional platform. When she felt ready, she began her life coaching business, Mikale Burcher. Her Spark Change program gives guidance to women who deal with tough obstacles in life and need steps to overcome them.

Burcher’s serious about being the best life coach possible and part of the work she puts into her business includes constantly learning. She currently listens to podcasts talking about the industry she’s in.

“People are going to need to get different things out of a life-coaching podcast, but I listen to 'Maintenance Phase,'” said Burcher.

This podcast by Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbs debunks wellness and health scams. Burcher doesn’t fear listening to opinions other than her own as she also recommends “If Books Could Kill” by Michael Hobbs and Peter Shamshiri.

“This podcast goes a bit against my business, but it talks about books that over promise and under deliver,” said Burcher.

Sophia Brazington, a client of Burcher's, left a positive review of the business.

Mikki Burcher, '11, is currently self-employed as a life-coaching business owner. She is the creator of Spark Change, a small system for massive change.

“If you’re ready to put in the heart and have someone match your energies, do it,” Brazington said. “You deserve the greatest cheerleader, and Mikale is one of the best.”

Maria Stover, professor and chair of mass media, remembers having Burcher in class.

“Mikki has always been an outstanding communicator and a hard worker,” Stover said. “Her genuine compassion for others and deep interest in human rights stood out when she was in my class and I am certain they are instrumental in her career now.”

Burcher has high hopes for her life coaching journey.

“I hope in five years to have an empire,” Burcher said. “I want to hire people and have helped at least a thousand women by then.”

Burcher wants to motivate women who were just like her during her lowest point in life. She wants to inspire them to change their lives for the better.

photo courtesy of Mikki Burcher

Job builds partnerships across Shawnee County

by Connor Doel

Erika McNeill, ‘11, originally a marketing major, decided she wanted to work on the creative side of things.

“Mass media was a way I could get into marketing without doing all the numbers, and I could do the creative stuff,” said McNeill.

Currently, McNeill works for Envista Credit Union as the engagement coordinator where she oversees the EnvistaCares Challenge that engages with organizations in the community by creating media packages to help raise funds for nonprofits.

“Nonprofits rarely have a lot of funds for marketing budgets, so that’s where our marketing team steps in and creates a media package for them,” McNeill said. “I create design work like billboards or social media graphics that they can use.”

Another part of McNeill’s job involves providing current Envista employees an opportunity to get paid while spending their day volunteering in the community. It's one way her job helps employees understand the Envista culture.

While at Washburn, McNeill was on the Washburn tennis team and was involved with a sorority.

“I didn’t join any groups in mass media, but I did get to know my professors very well and still have those relationships today,” McNeill said.

McNeill’s first job gave her the opportunity to travel around the United States and go to conventions.

“Right out of college, I worked for Visit Topeka,” McNeill said. “I was the convention sales manager and I would travel to conferences around the United States. I would meet with meeting planners who were planning to have meetings outside of their city, so I would showcase Topeka well so they would see us as a destination city.”

McNeill realized that she wanted to be on the other side of the table and plan the events, so she waited for an opportunity to switch directions and landed up across the street from campus at the Washburn Alumni Association and Foundation for five years and developed a professional network with donors and alumni, which again inspired McNeill.

“I met someone at Envista who I looked up to as a career mentor,” said McNeill. “He was very engaged in the community, and I knew I wanted to be more engaged in our community. Now I work with organizations in the community to create partnerships.”

Ashley Schmidt, creative director at Envista, said McNeill is, “a very collaborative person to work with.”

McNeill advises anyone who is professionally minded to focus on gaining hands-on experiences and to continue to plug into Washburn's extensive alumni community.

“I would say it’s about who you know and those connections mean everything,” McNeill said. “Networking is key to being successful.”

photo courtesy of Erika McNeill

Erika McNeill is currently the engagement coordinator for Envista Credit Union. McNeill creates media packages for nonprofit organizations.

Content creator earns education degree during pandemic

by Abby Davis

Teachers have the power to influence the minds and futures of their students and for Jena Dean, ’16, that responsibility is a privilege as much as it is a passion.

Dean is currently an elementary teacher at Pleasant Right Elementary School, located in the rural town of Easton, Kansas, where she teaches fourth grade. She began her teaching career in 2021 and is now finishing her second full year of teaching.

“It’s a very rewarding job because being in education you get to see the fruits of your labor every day,” said Dean.

Dean’s journey to becoming a teacher began at Washburn, with a BA in mass media and a concentration in journalism. During her time in college, she took every opportunity to gain personal and worldly experiences, such as joining student organizations and studying abroad.

Dean discovered her passion while completing her Washburn Transformational Experience in

Community and Civic Engagement, a program that allows experiences outside of campus classrooms. She spent her first two years at Washburn volunteering at Ross Elementary School in Topeka, Kansas.

“My time at Ross was a big part of why I wanted to become a teacher, but I didn’t really put

photo courtesy of Jena Dean Jena Dean, ’16, made a career change from the communications world to elementary education. She now teaches fourth grade education at Pleasant Ridge Elementary School in Easton, Kansas.

the pieces together until I was a couple of years into my career in communications,” said Dean.

In the spring semester of her junior year, Dean took the chance to travel and study abroad. Having great support from the Office of International Programs, she attended Fachhochschule Vorarlberg, an art school located in Dornbirn, Austria. Dean studied editorial design and photography.

“The International House at Washburn was really supportive of me going and provided so much assistance and help,” Dean said. “It made it really easy to go because in a lot of ways, they did everything for me. Studying abroad changed my perspective on who I was and what I was capable of doing.”

As graduation neared closer, Dean began an internship with Page Communications, an agency in Kansas City, Missouri, which spanned her entire senior year. Shortly after graduation, in August 2016, she took a temporary job at Hotwire, a communications agency in San Francisco, California. Dean worked as a content coordinator for this global public relations company.

“I did a lot of social media and data tracking, working mostly with technology-based clients, like Dell, from all over the U.S.,” said Dean.

In January 2017, Dean moved back to her home state of Kansas and began doing freelance work for Gregory+Vine, a marketing agency. For four months, Dean did content creation, social media, and event planning for the company. After this period of freelancing, the company offered her a permanent position as a marketing assistant,

but later promoted her to senior account coordinator. She worked at Gregory+Vine for almost three years.

“Something pretty interesting was that I got one of my clients from Kansas City, a chef, an opportunity to interview for the show Iron Chef,” said Dean. “I was there with him at the interview, and I prepared him on questions he may get asked, the ways he might answer, and things of that nature.”

At the end of 2019, Dean decided to go back to school in pursuit of a career change. In the spring of 2020, she began a year and a half program at Pittsburgh State University for

a master’s degree in elementary education. As part of her degree, Dean student taught fifth grade at Basehor Elementary School, located in Basehor, Kansas. She graduated with her master’s degree in the summer of 2021 and began her first year of teaching at Pleasant Ridge Elementary subsequently.

Dean’s best friend, Maribeth Murphy, is an eighth grade Language Arts teacher at Washburn Rural Middle School, located in Topeka, Kansas. Murphy has been teaching for six years now, entering the world of education just a few years before Dean. While Dean’s career change was a bit unexpected, Murphy was excited for her friend.

“I wasn’t too surprised when she said she would be teaching elementary school because she’s had lots of experience working with little kids and has always enjoyed it,” said Murphy. “Jena builds relationships with her students through humor and honesty, which makes her a great teacher that students trust and want to do well for.”

Reflecting on her journey thus far, Dean appreciates Washburn for the opportunities she had and the experiences she gained during her four years. From her time at Washburn, Dean learned how to have productive conversations with people and how to prioritize – two essential skills for teachers and communications professional alike.

“Mass media is a fast-paced world, but if you find your groove it can be very rewarding,” said Dean. “Follow your passions and don’t be afraid to try new things.”

photo courtesy of Jena Dean Jena Dean’s worldly travels opened her eyes to the limitless capabilities she could achieve. After a big career change, she found her roots in Easton, Kansas, and now uses her skills and experiences to teach future generations.

“It’s a very rewarding job because being in education you get to see the fruits of your labor every day,” said Dean.

Flexibility and positivity carves career pathway

by Dalton White

Josey Trimble-McCready, ‘19, is still making an impact in Topeka through her career and community involvement.

Trimble-McCready is currently the product marketing manager at Community Brands. Before she got to where she is today, she underwent many different experiences and plan changes, to which she credits her ability to be open minded and adapt with her success.

Trimble-McCready works in tech doing strategic marketing for software that is geared toward nonprofits.

“Knowing that I can do what I like in marketing while also being able to benefit people in different organizations and K-12 schools as well, I feel like I am making a difference,” Trimble-McCready said.

Working from home, she is able to help the sales team have the knowledge with new and potential clients of what products the company is offering, what other competitors are doing, how the company tends to do things and even what the team can improve on in the future. Trimble-McCready is also responsible for guiding the direction of what the marketing team does and leads a lot of the strategies for the company.

“I am very thankful I was able to get to a place in my career where I am really doing what I love,” Trimble-McCready said.

During her time at Washburn,

Trimble-McCready had a marketing internship at UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science. The company offers testing, inspection, and certification services to support innovation and business growth.

After graduation, she accepted a full-time position as the social media coordinator at Prairie Band Casino, later leaving to become a project manager at America’s Job Link Alliance.

Trimble-McCready said she was able to use her skills to find her current employment as a Product Marketing Manager at Community Brands here in Topeka. Dealing with difficult factors such as COVID and insufficient grants created challenges that she had to overcome.

Trimble-McCready not only had to overcome professional challenges, but she also faced personal challenges.

“I have had some medical issues in the past,” Trimble-McCready said. “I finally had surgeries and that has helped me overcome those issues and be in a position where I can have the time, mental and physical capabilities to be where I am in my career which was huge.”

Trimble-McCready said that part of her success is self-awareness.

“Knowing what was right for me and knowing when to leave to do what was best for me was something I learned along the way,” Trimble-McCready said. “I am most proud of the fact that I was able to have the perseverance to be able to get to the position I am at now.”

Staying in the Topeka area she is still making an impact on the community. She is currently involved as a volunteer for the YWCA in Topeka. The main purpose of the YWCA is to empower and encourage women against racial injustices and push for equality for women in all aspects of life. She said she feels as though giving back to the community she has spent so much time in is very important. Those who have been around her are not surprised by the success she has been able to find.

“She has been able to overcome challenges personally and professionally,” said Jessica Knieff, her friend and former classmate. “Her career has scaled rapidly and it’s no secret that it’s due to her work ethic and meticulous nature.”

photo courtesy of Josey Trimble-McCready Josey Trimble-McCready is currently a product marketing manager at Community Brands. She has been with the company since November of 2022.

Job encourages community service

by Halle Meister

Emma Palasak, ‘22, is currently employed with U.S. Engineering as a public relations, communications, and marketing proposal specialist, but in her downtime, she volunteers as a reading mentor for Lead to Read KC.

“It’s crazy to think how fast college flew by; it still feels like I just left yesterday,” Palasak said.

Along with improving her professional skills, she is also impacting the hearts of others through community service.

“The company I’m working for is a perfect fit because they support and encourage giving back and making a change,” Palasak said.

From 1996 to 2022, U.S. Engineering has been putting on a Christmas Give Back project, which is for team members in the Midwest region. The team adopts 70 children for the holidays for a give-back project. This past year, Palasak was given the opportunity to oversee the project and loved it.

“Being able to orchestrate this and help play Santa for thousands of children in the Kansas City area is one reason why I love my job,” Palasak said.

Palasak grew up in Bentonville, Arkansas, and was recruited to play volleyball at Washburn while studying mass media in 2018. Within the four years of her college

experience, Palasak was building relationships and skills that got her to where she is now.

Palasak worked with Student Media as an advertising and promotions manager. Then, she interned with Hyperion in public relations. Having these experiences led to getting an internship that turned into a full-time job.

“Emma was really invested in practicing public relations skills while she was in mass media and I think that’s why she’s so successful now,” said Kristen Grimmer, an associate professor in mass media.

Apart from her job, Palasak is passionate about giving back.

Palasak said that growing up and watching her mom teach kids in the school system inspired her to pursue being part of the Lead to Read program, which was created to support the social, emotional, and

Emma Palasak invests in the younger generation by reading to students. She wanted to follow in the footsteps of her mom, who is a teacher.

reading skills that are foundational for success by advancing platforms and community volunteers.

Palasak now connects with students in first through third grades by providing them with 30 minutes of one-on-one reading and mentoring support during one lunch hour each week.

“I have always had a passion to teach kids because I love seeing them grow and make a difference in their life,” Palasak said.

Palasak said she is proud to be able to give back in such a profound way and is thankful she has a job that not only allows her to do this, but encourages her to.

photo courtesy of Emma Palasak

Volunteering once a week can make a big impact

What you can do with a Mass Media Mass Media degree degree

PR practitioner provides media services for financial advisers

by Bailey Collar

Tracey Stratton has made a name for herself in the public relations field. When it comes to financial advisors looking to make media appearances, she knows exactly how to help.

Stratton, ‘95, works in the creative service department for Advisors Excel as a public relations manager, where she helps independent financial advisers improve their businesses. Stratton specializes in public relations and creates PR programs for advisers and for her company.

Bill Kentling, vice president of media solutions, speaks highly about Stratton’s contributions to Advisors Excel.

“Tracey has made a significant impact on our company, ranging from local PR about Advisors

Excel to setting up media relations programs for our advisers,” said Kentling. “Nationally, she has established working relationships with Kiplinger, Forbes, and other key business-focused outlets.”

Stratton’s goal is to help advisers reach their PR objectives.

“A big thing for our advisers is being published, so we work with Kiplinger, the online magazine, to get articles for them published on that website,” said Stratton.

Kiplinger is an online finance magazine. Those who are published in Kiplinger instantly gain credibility for readers.

Stratton also gives advisers credibility and authority by helping them with book launches or getting them television airtime.

“I currently have an adviser who appears on Fox Business every

Wednesday with an interview on the Stuart Varney show,” said Stratton.

“Varney & Co.” is the highest rated market program on television; it discusses the business world and how current events affect finances.

Public relations is branding, so it isn’t something that can’t be easily measured. However, the way people think about a person or a business can show the amount of success someone is having.

“Most people Google your name or your brand,” said Kentling. “When positive news stories appear in the search, that is success.”

Stratton is married to Michael Stratton, ‘89. They have two kids, who have also graduated from WU.

photo courtesy of Tracey Stratton Tracey Stratton has just eclipsed her seventh year working at Advisors Excel.

Sportscaster embodies Ichabod spirit

by Jonas Faria

Washburn has in Jake Lebahn’s voice the pride and experience of someone who considers the university his home.

Kyle Manthe, an athletic communications intern who works with Lebahn, said that once, in a pre-game interaction, someone asked if Lebahn, '07, preferred the University of Kansas or Kansas State University. Lebahn fired off that he cheered for Washburn.

This interaction illustrates the unique personality of Washburn’s basketball and soccer announcer who is the voice of the Ichabods.

Lebahn has been the voice of the Ichabods since 2014 and is currently sports director for Alpha Media USA Group and host of the talk show “Mic’d Up” on WIBW-AM 580.

Lebahn said he did not exactly have a plan for what he would do after graduation, but he knew he would be involved in sports.

“I applied for an internship here at the station when I was a junior in 2006 in the summertime and continued that through a part-time position during the football season, during the offseason,” Lebahn said. “I wanted to do something involved in sports because it was such a big part of my life.”

Being a passionate sports fan at Washburn is part of his DNA. Lebahn was a 6-foot-4-inch-tall receiver on the football team and his greatest memory from his

college days is sports related.

“When we beat Pittsburg State for the first time in like 30 years on the football field at home, I caught a touchdown in that game,” Lebahn said. “That was the year we won the conference.”

Having been a student athlete is one of the factors that makes his play-by-play role so unique.

“He has these deep ties, and pride in the team and the school that he went to,” said Joy Smith, assistant athletic communications director. “He really cares about what he does.”

With 16 years in the sports industry, Lebahn said the biggest challenge is time management. He describes a typical week in the basketball season:

“I did my show from noon to 1 p.m., got in the car, drove three and a half hours. Got to Jeff City, Missouri, called two Washburn basketball games. Then I left Jeff City, got back home at 1:30 in the morning. I got up at 8 a.m. and took my kids to daycare, and then I went to work. I do my show from noon to 3 p.m., then I get done with work. I have to prepare for Saturday’s game, but also my sports talk show for the next day.”

Despite the challenge, Lebahn considers the expansion of his talk show as a career milestone.

“Our sports talk show was from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and last year we expanded from noon to 6 p.m. and instead of one show, we have two

now,” Lebahn said.

Even after talking many hours a day about sports, Lebahn is a genuine Washburn fan.

“I want Washburn to win more than probably anybody,” Lebahn said. “When I wear Washburn gear like this, it is the only gear that I need to have because I am not a fan of anywhere else.”

Calling games for his alma mater is about pride, and when Washburn wins, it becomes the most enjoyable moment for Lebahn.

“That means the most,” Lebahn said. “To be the middleman between Washburn and the fans.”

photo courtesy of Jake Lebahn Washburn announcer Jake Lebahn with his children, Lawson, and Brynn. Jake and his two children were in the broadcast booth at Yager Stadium.

Reporter covers Salina community

by Abby LaFever

Charles Rankin, ‘18, is currently the news reporter for the Salina Journal, part of the USA Today Network.

Rankin took six months to figure out where he wanted to be and what he wanted to do after graduation, but he quickly found his passion for reporting. Interview after interview, Rankin kept reaching for his dream job.

In the summer of 2019, Rankin encountered an editor working for the USA Today Network who was looking for someone just like him. Moving from Topeka to Salina, Rankin was ready to take this local newspaper and his career to the next level.

Rankin shares how much his professors at Washburn aided in getting him this job.

“Actually, I think it was Regina Cassell who gave my name to someone in Topeka who knew people out here in Salina,” Rankin said.

Rankin said his time at Washburn helped get him to where is he is today.

“Being at Washburn, I was working with Student Media or working in a practicum, working with other people, which would be about four to eight people in the same room,” Rankin said. “But in the real world, when it comes to journalism, it has a lot less people when you are in a smaller community there are less people.”

By taking what he learned during his time at Student Media and his experience since graduation, Rankin has been able to perfect what he likes the most about being a journalist.

“I think just being able to tell those stories that people would not necessarily know about has been one of my favorite things I have done,” Rankin said.

When it comes to bigger stories that he has been able to cover, the one that Rankin talks about is the one where he covered the Bob Dole Funeral service

Rankin said that he enjoys covering local news but covering big stories like the funeral has been one of his biggest accomplishments throughout his career.

On a daily basis, Rankin plans out stories, interviews people, or covers an event before writing his story. Once he gets done with that, he will submit a draft to his

editor. Then he waits for feedback and makes any final touches to get it ready for publishing.

Kendrick Calfee is a coworker of Rankin’s and is the education reporter for the Salina Journal, as well.

“Charlie is a thoughtful reporter with an eye for things that the community cares about,” Calfee said. “He is driven and visibly passionate about the work he does in community journalism.”

Calfee and Rankin are the only two reporters in Salina who are part of the USA Today network.

“Charlie is a great communicator and meets deadlines, which is important in this industry,” Calfee said. “He has been here longer than me, so I often go to him with questions about local people and ways of life. He is insightful and always willing to lend a helping hand.”

When Rankin is not writing stories for the Salina Journal, he is also part of the board for Student Media.

“Maria Stover asked me to be part of it,” Rankin said. “A lot of it was, ‘hey we need a community member who is in the field’ and since I graduated from Washburn and I am working in Kansas, that makes sense.”

Most of what Rankin does for Student Media is to attend the board meetings, check and approve the budget, and make sure things are going well.

Rankin said he enjoys being a part of Student Media because he can help students on the same path as he was as they get ready to start their careers.

photo courtesy of Charlie Rankin Charlie Rankin is working at the Salina Journal, which is part of USA Today network in Salina, Kansas.

Filmmaker follows passion

by Rachel Janzen

Darria Dennison, '18, works at KSNT where she’s a video editor and technical director.

The word “free time” is not a commonly used phrase in Dennison’s vocabulary. When she’s not working at KSNT, she’s freelancing for multiple film roles including shooting, editing, acting, and more.

When she does have time off, she’s had the opportunity to work on numerous film projects.

“All of the people that I’ve come to know and the connections I’ve made have probably been the biggest thing I’ve gotten from Washburn and have still affected me today and influenced me in what I work on,” Dennison said.

A professional relationship was formed for Dennison when Sue Vicory spoke in one of Dennison’s film classes when she was still a student.

Dennison has since worked with Vicory on a handful of music videos and a short film. She’s also had the opportunity to work on two feature films since she graduated.

Dennison’s other projects include being the head production assistant and a producer’s assistant for “They Wait In The Dark” and a production assistant on “The Stylist.”

Dennison continues to work toward her dream of moving to Los Angeles and getting into the prestigious graduate USC film program. She hopes to pursue directing and acting, eventually at the same time.

“Directing is at the top of the list,” Dennison said. “For whatever project I want to work on next, unless I find a really good reason to act in it, I’m going to exclusively direct it. I would like to get to a point where I’m more frequently directing and acting in my own things once I get to a point where I can navigate that.”

Matthew Nyquist, an associate professor in mass media, had Dennison in some of his film classes.

“She is very very dedicated to always doing the absolute best she can and learning everything she can about what she’s doing to be able to pull it off to the best of her ability,” Nyquist said. “I think that’s something we all should strive for and I think that she’s a great representation of Washburn and the film program.”

photos provided by Darria Dennison (above) Dennsion holds her stabilizing equipment on the set of a short film.

(left) Dennison shoots a scene using a handheld camera.

Designer tackles web design, gains skills

by Karli Bayliss

Every step beyond the graduation stage has been a growing opportunity for mass media alumna Hailey Mann, '20. In a job that requires some skills that were outside of her forte, Mann had to adapt in order to succeed.

She secured a job at Peterson Media Group, a small publisher in Topeka, Kansas, where she works as the publisher’s web coordinator and is one of its graphic designers.

“We run about seven different sites,” said Mann. “We put out magazines for associations and those magazines have accompanying sites where all of the articles and things are posted. So, I manage a lot of those.”

Ironically enough, building websites was one thing Mann didn’t know how to do when she graduated, along with other skills she now uses on a regular basis.

“I didn't build websites; I didn't know how to do any of that,” Mann said. “I taught myself almost everything I do every day. I didn't take video editing when I was at Washburn, but now I can video edit. I can animate things. I can do a lot of random stuff that I learned from Google.”

Mann said she is enjoying the variety of work she does in her position now.

“I like it; it's a small business, so there's a lot more freedom than there would be at another company,” Mann said. “My boss lets me do basically whatever I want if I'm like, ‘This is cool.’ I've just been able to grow really fast.”

Another reason why Mann said she has grown rapidly is because of her outlook on the learning process.

“You can learn to do anything if you try hard enough, and you just keep learning after school,” said Mann. “Some people come out of school thinking, ‘I'm done, I’ve got this, I don't need to do anything else.’ But that's not a good motto. Like, where’s the fun in that?”

Mann began her academic journey in 2012 at Washburn Tech, where she studied graphic design. She then transferred credits toward an associate of arts degree in design technology at Washburn’s main campus. In 2015, she decided to continue her four-year degree through mass media.

“[Washburn Tech] is a much different experience than the mass media department,” Mann said. The classes they teach are very heavy on software. You learn Adobe, and we

got certified and stuff.”

Mann said she was able to apply her media skills in an organizational setting at Student Media. Here, she worked as the editor-in-chief of the spring 2020 and fall 2020 Bod Magazine. The skills Mann learned at Student Media have come in handy for the magazine work she does at her current job.

Regina Cassell, senior lecturer of mass media and director of Student Media, was the one who encouraged Mann to join Student Media.

“I just always liked her,” Cassell said. “She's got a good, strong set of skills. But I also liked her personally, too. She's a hard worker, and I knew that the magazine would be in great hands if she was to be in charge of it.”

This isn’t the only instance when Cassell led Mann to a job opportunity.

“My [current] boss reached out to Regina, and he was like, ‘Hey, we need someone to do this,’ and Regina gave him my email,” Mann said.

Mann was appreciative of this gesture. With the COVID-19 pandemic cutting her senior year short, it was difficult to find a job opening for what she was hoping for.

“There just wasn't a whole lot of what I felt like were good options, and I know other people who graduated with me struggled with finding jobs, too,” Mann said. “So I consider myself lucky with this job and that Regina decided to put my name out there.”

Photo courtesy of Hailey Mann Hailey Mann (right) and her coworkers sport foiled, embossed, and die-cut crowns for Peterson Media Group’s 29th annual Gold Leaf Competition. One of the company’s clients, the Foil & Specialty Effects Association hosted the event.

Church expands job opportunities

Advice for media practitioners: “Seek out opportunities and don't shy away from things that scare you,” said Emma Wittmer, ’21

by Alex Younger

Savvy career builders look everywhere for opportunities, some of which may feel they are created specifically for them. Emma Wittmer, ’21 knew she needed experience to truly figure out her passion.

“Going specifically into PR, there are so many job opportunities, which can sound daunting, but it gave me a little peace of mind,” said Wittmer. “I love the different aspects of each of these job opportunities I looked into, and my time at Washburn helped me figure that out.”

Wittmer said she started her freshman year at University of Kansas with a major in journalism, but she decided that Washburn had more opportunities.

As a student, she worked at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center as a marketing assistant and then at the Washburn University Alumni Association and Foundation.

During her senior year, Wittmer applied for an internship at Topeka’s Fellowship Bible Church. She was attending there and wanted to use her skills to help manage its social media presence.

At the conclusion of her internship, her boss, Bill Horn, created the digital ministry coordinator job as part of the Worship Arts team.

“She is the first person to hold her current role, so

she is having to blaze a new trail for us,” Horn said. “This has involved research and consulting with other organizations and establishing best practices for the position going forward. Emma has been a great addition to our team.”

Wittmer is a one-person digital team at Fellowship Bible Church as of today. She runs its main accounts, the Young Adult account, and the Student Ministry account. However, Wittmer said she faced some difficulties at work. For example, she had to teach herself how to use a professional camera, edit images, and create Facebook ads.

“I wanted to use my ability to make the young adult ministry social media presence really awesome, so there was a lot to learn,” Wittmer said.

She feels biggest accomplishment was not shying away from a job in digital media because of the learning curve. Technology is always changing, and Wittmer has learned to tackle it.

“Something I love about my work is that we always say, ‘You didn’t fail at doing this, you just found another way not to do it,’” Wittmer said. “Failure scars me half to death because I want to be good at everything I do.”

She gets overwhelmed sometimes, but it’s because she’s a one-person digital team. But, Wittmer said she has great people around her who are willing to help her.

She has resources she can go to when she runs into challenges and she adapts in a stressful environment.

photo courtesy of Emma Wittmer Emma Wittmer runs Fellowship Bible Church's social media accounts. She has learned to embrace the tech changes that come with mass media.

Alumni class notes

Daphne (Phillips) Reynolds, ‘12, Daphne (Phillips) Reynolds, ‘12, is in her first year as a senior associate recruiter for Pride Global in New York, New York. Daphne had a daughter in November of 2022. Reynolds now lives in Leavenworth, Kansas.

Audriana (Monteith) Smith, ‘15, Audriana (Monteith)

Smith, ‘15, has been working for 9 months as a Content Marketing Specialist for Twin Valley located in Clay Center, Kansas. Smith lives in El Dorado, Kansas, with her husband Dustin Smith. Dustin and Audriana have been together for 6 years and have a 2-year-old son named Jaxon.

Caroline (Baldwin) Bivens, ‘05

Bivens created an Instagram page to share her interior design work and begin working as a local designer. The Instagram page (@c.b._designs) turned into a dream job. Caroline was blessed to work with some amazing companies like Macy’s, Balsam Hill, McDonald’s, Arhaus, World Market, and many more. Her home was even featured in a few magazines including, Better Homes and Gardens, County Home, and Cottages and Bungalows.

Robert Burkett, ‘12

Burkett recently moved back into the media field after spending several years pursuing other opportunities. He is now a technical media producer for WIBW 13 News.

Titonian Wallace Sr., ‘14, Titonian Wallace Sr., ‘14, is the owner of Nesace Media, where he’s been for seven years. Titonian is the chair and a founding member of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce’s Black Advisory Business Council. Titonian leads this council to amplify the efforts of Black-owned businesses in his area, providing support, awareness, advocacy, and consultation, and working to eliminate barriers to opportunities and address issues unique to Black-owned businesses, professionals, and their families.

photo courtesy of Regina Cassell Students in the spring section of MM499 gather on the steps of Mabee library for a photo with professor Maria Stover. (row 1) Sydney Frantz, Shalynn Long, Maggie Cabrera, Alyssa Storm; (row 2) Rachel Janzen, Rina Miyano, Shelby Munoz, Marissa Schmicke;

(row 3) Emily Burd, Ashley Williams, Katelyn Tryon, Rhyan Cropper, Zachery Hall; (row 4) Glorianna Noland, Max Morrow, Shiann Olberding, Halle Meister, Greg Martin; (row 5) Rajendra Bista, Trevor Falcon, Maria Stover, Isaac Deer; (row 6)Christina Noland and Callie Holthaus

Fresh Start Mass Media freshmen jump into campus life

by Charlize Easter

Each year brings new faces and energy to the mass media department. Meet three of our newest faces.

Jeremy Ford

contemporary journalism

Ford has his sights set on working in sports broadcasting. From an early age, he’s been fascinated by the way sports anchors deliver information and engage audiences.

As he grew older, his passion for sports journalism only grew stronger, and he knew he needed to become a broadcaster in the sports industry.

“I did a lot of video journalism in high school for the football and basketball team. I knew when I came here that I didn’t want to give it up,” said Ford.

Being able to share the excitement of the game with viewers through commentary and analysis is a dream for him. He believes his skills in writing and public speaking make him the perfect candidate for a career in sports broadcasting.

“We made videos on YouTube

about sports, news within my community. It’s the whole reason I am in mass media.”

Ford says he hopes to pursue a masters in broadcasting after Washburn.

“I know a lot about more sports having grown up in a small town. My favorite by far is basketball. If I could do broadcasting for a basketball stadium, that would be awesome,” he said.

Last semester Ford worked for Student Media as a reporter, writing stories on Washburn athletics. He had the opportunity to learn research and time management skills as one has to dig deep to find the right information, find facts to write a compelling story and meet deadlines.

“One of the things I hope to learn within my college career is how to talk to people within a professional setting. It’s an important skill that could be useful,” said Ford.

Tiana Smith

public relations & advertising Smith currently works for Student Media on the promotions team.

“Seeing the depth of all the media related to sports was incredibly

interesting as someone who doesn’t really like sports that much. I really love all the classes that are offered. I can’t wait to see what’s out there, especially Event Planning and Management with Dr. Grimmer,” said Smith.

She’s excited to learn about public relations in the entertainment industry. She aspires to become a publicist and hopes that her minor in psychology will support her passion for the mental health of musicians.

“I’m kind of hoping to learn more about how the mind works so that I can better help my future clients,” said Smith.

She’s passionate about music, and her favorite band is Waterparks. Their music is known for its highenergy and catchy melodies and

“I’ve always been actively creating and don’t want to stop…I knew mass media was the right choice for me,” said Celena Gordon.

often features themes of love, relationships and self-discovery.

Smith is a percussionist, pianist and plays a little bit of violin. In high school, she had thought about majoring in occupational therapy, but she realized it wasn’t a good fit.

“I knew I wanted to go into the entertainment industry. My brother, Tambour Bieker, used to work for Student Media before he graduated from Washburn in 2017. He explained to me what mass media was all about. That’s when I figured it out,” said Smith.

Smith is a member of Washburn’s Leadership Institute, and she is presently working on her capstone project, which will enable students to be better informed about their career options for their chosen major. She’s got it all planned out and is excited to see the outcome of the project.

She also took part in mass media’s Paris trip, which was her first time away from the states.

“It was awesome seeing the Mona Lisa,” said Smith.

Celena Gordon public relations & advertising

Currently, Gordon works as the social event coordinator for Delta Gamma, and she is having so much fun planning events and creating posts.

“It’s a big job, and I love that I get to have fun doing it,” said Gordon.

She hopes in the future she can do the same. She’s interested in working on social media pages and designing advertisements that pull audiences in.

She knew Washburn was the right choice when she came to the her orientation and saw how focused they were on individual studies.

“I’ve always been creating and don’t want to stop. I used to edit my cousin’s basketball game videos and had shadowed my cousin who worked as a social media manager. I knew mass media was the right

choice for me.”

Gordon is working hard on building her portfolio, stressing over her gen-eds and having fun with her sorority sisters on campus. Gordon is still undecided about her concentration within mass media but is thinking about concentrating in public relations and advertising and minoring in psychology.

“I’ve just always been interested in the brain and how people think. The psyche has a lot to do with mass media because you want to focus on what people are interested in and how to pull them in,” said Gordon.

This semester she’s taking her first psychology class ever, and she’s learning all about the basics of psychology and loving it.

“I took a college credit class on web design, and I learned a bunch of things about podcasting, the Adobe software, and even did a social media campaign. I’m looking forward to being able to use to the skills I had learned.”

photo courtesy of Tiana Smith Tiana Smith works with Student Media as an assistant editor and a member of the marketing team.

photo courtesy of Jeremy Ford Jeremy Ford is a student ambassador for Washburn, providing tours to prospective students and parents.

photo courtesy of Celena Gordon Celena Gordon is part of Delta Gamma sorority, serving as the director of social events.

In addition to winning the All-Kansas award for the fall 2022 Indigo Magazine, Student Media took home second place for the 2022 KAW Yearbook and third place for The Washburn Review. The Kansas Collegiate Media Awards were held April 16-17, 2023, in Wichita, Kansas.

Graphic by Karli Bayliss

Student Media looks to future

by Karli Bayliss

The 2022-23 school year has been a challenging one for Student Media. Although faced with many unexpected events, employees persevered, produced award-winning content and made needed changes to the organization.

The school year started out great for Student Media, as the first issue of the Indigo Magazine was released within the first few weeks of the fall semester. However, the organization would hit its first snag in October when both the editor-in-chief, Alyssa Storm, and managing editor, Maggie Cabrera, resigned to focus on schoolwork and other responsibilities.

Justin Sheppard and Aja Carter respectively took over these positions, but this leadership wouldn’t last long either. As Sheppard graduated in December, Carter was appointed to editor-in-chief and LeSha’ Davis to managing editor. Carter, junior mass media major, recalls how these shifts impacted Student Media.

“That change in leadership was really hard for us all as a team, just because it was a major switch-up for us in the middle of the semester. But I think we got through that pretty quickly and were able to work through it. I think that was the biggest struggle we had this year,” said Carter.

Another challenge was getting the next magazine produced and printed. Christina Noland, senior mass media major and editor-in-chief of the Indigo Magazine and KAW Yearbook, had originally planned for the second issue to be on campus by November. However, due to multiple staff members falling ill, difficulties with the outsourced printer and other factors, magazines didn’t hit newsstands until mid-February. Nevertheless, the magazine went on to win awards and the public’s admiration.

“The Indigo Magazine cover for the one that dropped this semester got a silver ADDY Award for cover design and it got silver overall for the entire magazine content. People are recognizing the quality of work that Student Media is doing, and I’m really happy about it,” said Noland.

Many other things started turning around for Student Media in the spring, including the launching

of a new podcast, IchaPod, and receiving an upsurge of applicants to begin as content creators. Although the organization needed more reporters, 30 plus new hires was a lot for leaders to manage.

LeSha’ Davis, junior English major, acknowledged that something needed to be done about this.

“Content is hard to create when we have a lot of new people coming in and out all the time. Keeping a team together is pretty hard in Student Media because it’s not like other student employment jobs where you can just come to an office and have tasks already built out for you. It does take a lot of work behind the scenes.”

So, the executive team created a training system where new employees write eight different types of content before getting assigned to a team. This training has also allowed staff to determine who is ready to put in the work to create outstanding content.

“With our new tier-one training, we’ve gotten the chance to cover a lot more stuff, and we’ve had a lot more different content opportunities. Specifically, different things like lifestyle features, where we get to write more opinion pieces and focus on things outside of events. We’ve also got a lot of diversity within our staff. I think we’re publishing a lot more, and I feel like we’re getting a bit more attraction than normal as well,” said Carter.

In an effort to continue this growth into the next academic year, staff spent the last weeks of the semester prepping for the loss of graduating seniors. This pertains to over half of the executive staff, including Noland.

“Since so many of us just so happen to be graduating in May, I’m kind of concerned because that’s so much leadership just gone. But I’m sure that, come fall, the people who were looking for leadership this semester will step up to replace the gaps,” said Noland.

Student Media ended the year on a positive note by winning the Kansas Collegiate Media All-Kansas award for the fall 2022 Indigo Magazine. Several individual awards were earned at the conference as well. Simran Shrestha, senior molecular biology and biotechnology major and copy chief, attributes Student Media’s achievements in the past year to its employees’ work ethic.

Film class inspires students’ creativity in a new way

by Abby Davis

Students enrolled in MM 308, Intro to Film and Video Techniques, learn the fundamentals of filmmaking and gain hands-on experience in creating their own projects. From mastering camera functions and lighting techniques to storytelling and editing, MM 308 is the perfect class for novice students and aspiring filmmakers alike.

MM 308 is taught by Sam Finch, a lecturer who has been teaching film classes in the Mass Media Department for five years. Since the class is an introduction to filmmaking, Finch begins by teaching students the basic functions of a camera and image control – controlling exposure with the aperture, using manual focus, and creating custom white balance settings.

Once students get comfortable with the basics of a camera, they learn how to properly frame and compose a shot, which includes learning the difference between a close-up shot and a long shot and the appropriate times to use them. Next, students tackle Adobe Premiere Pro, a video editing software.

“All students get the same footage, but there are as many ways to cut that footage as there are people in the world,” said Finch. “It teaches them how visual continuity works, but it also shows them how different they are from each other as editors.”

Finch adopts an active learning approach for this course, emphasizing the importance of students practicing and applying the skills they learn during the lectures. When Finch is not lecturing in a classroom, the class can be found in the computer lab, Henderson 17, or the TV studio, Henderson 2, actively practicing their newly learned techniques.

Olivia Watson, a junior with a concentration in creative advertising and public relations, gained a new outlook on future career options due to taking MM 308. With no previous experience in videography, the idea of using the software was daunting. After Finch’s teachings, she found enjoyment in the editing process, and is grateful to possess knowledge of film and video techniques.

“I was really scared of Adobe Premiere because I

heard that the editing process can be very stressful,” said Watson. “But now I think it’s kind of fun putting everything together and seeing how it works especially when it comes to scenes and making it coherent.”

Another student in the class, junior Karli Bayliss, concentration in creative advertising and public relations, is also thankful to have taken the course. She particularly enjoyed the thorough teachings that Finch provided

“If you’re even the slightest bit interested in making videos or you think you might need the knowledge for a future job, I think it’s great to get it from this course,” said Bayliss. “Professor Finch is very knowledgeable about this subject. Have an open mind coming into the class and you’ll get a lot out of it.”

photo by Abby Davis

Bailey Collar, a sophomore with a concentration in contemporary journalism, sits in Henderson 17, the editing lab, and works on her film project using Adobe’s Premiere Pro software.

Student athletes find success in their studies

by Vossi Gardenhire

Student athletes juggle the demands of both academics and their chosen sports, striving to excel in both areas. Student athletes grow in their field of education through sports by developing essential life skills, enhancing focus and time management, and fostering relationships that extend beyond the playing field.

“I feel like golf really has helped me become a better person, I used to not know what I wanted to do but when I got introduced to golf it all made sense” said Cooper Ward “Golf has taught many things that have oddly shaped me for the profession I want by giving me a sense of being present and definitely helped my people skills”

The sacrifice it takes to be in a sport and to be a full-time student could be a hassle, but the power to stay focused and complete all these duties can bring a feeling of satisfaction.

“I feel as if sometimes school and golf can overlap. At times it can feel like a little much but that’s when I remember that I have been doing this and I know it’ll be worth it at the end of my time here at Washburn,” said Ward.

RJ Mitchell, a freshman football player said he believes football has developed him to be well prepped for his field of studies.

“I think being on the team built my teamwork and communication skills which is needed in a mass media career,” said Mitchell.

Playing sports can ultimately enhance an athlete’s academic performance, further preparing them for future career success. It can develop a range of physical, mental, and social skills that can be invaluable in any career, including journalism. Student athletes often excel in their education field, demonstrating exceptional dedication and commitment to both academics and sports.

“Football is a team sport, and success on the field is largely dependent on how well everyone works together. The same is true in mass media, where people often work in teams to cover complex stories. By learning how to collaborate effectively with others and communicate clearly, football players can develop the skills they need to succeed in a collaborative professional environment.” Said Mitchell

A lot of memories can come from being a student athlete, some good some bad. But when you are put into pressured situations that’s when these skills can shine.

“One of my most memorable moments being a student athlete is when I had a big test on Friday and a game on Saturday. I was stressing about my test, and I still had practice and class. Through it all I still did good on my test, and we won the game on Saturday.” Said Mitchell.

These dedicated individuals maintain a focus on their studies while pursuing their passion for sports, demonstrating unparalleled determination and

time management skills. Through hard work and perseverance, these athletes are breaking the stereotypes surrounding the academic performance of student athletes, proving that success can be achieved in multiple areas of life simultaneously. This serves as an inspiration for others to follow suit and strive for excellence, both in their chosen sport and academic pursuits.

RJ Mitchell and a teammate at football practice.

Cooper Ward getting swings off at the course.

Behind the scenes of ‘For The Sins of Midnight’

An estranged father returns to his hometown after 40 years to build a relationship with his daughter only to discover that he has until midnight to build up the courage to talk to her before she’s gone forever.

by Jaycie Regnier

In the wee hours of the morning, students in mass media were busy wrapping up the final day of filming, completing their latest project late Thursday, March 30. Most film sets have hundreds of crew members, compared to the 25 students from the Advanced Film Production 2 class taught by associate professor Mathew Nyquist. Adin Replogle, a junior in mass media student at Washburn, is the

director of this film and worked with fellow film students Jess Seigel and Christina Noland to write the story for this short film titled “For the Sins of Midnight.”

Replogle became interested in film as a high school student, where he worked with his uncle, a videographer, and then discovered he wanted to pursue a career in creative filmmaking.

“In terms of directing, my main job as the director is making the creative decisions and being

the master delegator on set,” Replogle said. “I am in charge of performances and directing actors, but most importantly, to ensure everyone is consistent and working toward the same goal.”

Malachi Lewis is a mass media major at Washburn and the short film’s editor and script supervisor. His main job as an editor is to edit the film and to supervise the script on set to ensure the continuity is good for the editing process.

“I got interested in film when I

photo by Christina Noland Senior Adin Replogle (right), director, “For the Sins of Midnight” gives feedback to actor Ralph Newell (left), who commuted from Kansas City every time a call sheet was sent out.

Senior Trevor Falcon, first assistant camera for the film “For the Sins of Midnight,” sets up a camera on a dolly for this scene.

Senior Rina Miyanor, second assistant camera (2ND AC) for the film. She is holding up the clapper board for the film, right before they start filming a scene. took the Intro to Mass Media class here at Washburn,” said Lewis.

“For the Sins of Midnight” is the class’s most recent project. It is a heartfelt story about a father deciding whether he wants to build a relationship with his daughter after returning to his hometown.

“It is a story about trying to overcome regret and dealing with what happens if you don’t,” Replogle said.

Directing and producing a film does come with its hardships, as the

crew had a hard time finding venues to shoot scenes and working with full-time college students’ weekly schedules.

“There is no end to stressors as we are always working around everyone’s busy schedules and

ensuring we have everything we need on set,” Replogle said.” As a director, I put out the creative fires, and producers put out the practical fires.”

All the students involved with the film had their jobs as crew members, whether it was working as a director, cinematographers, actors, editors, or producers. Most students have been previously involved with film in some form, but it was their first time working as an actual film crew.

“My job as one of the producers is to be the group’s caretaker, “ Kevin Owens said. “It is like being the mom or dad or the crew and making sure everything runs smoothly on set.”

The students were given a taste of the film industry and how these positions work in the real world.

“One of the most important aspects of working with the cast and crew is working as a team,” Lewis said.

The film “For the Sins of

photos by Christina Noland

Midnight” is wrapped up and in the process of final edits; they are working to submit the film to film festivals soon.

It’s possible the film will be submitted to the spring 2024 WIFI Fim Festival.

“I truly lucked out with this crew that I have, everyone is fully engaged, and I can tell that everyone cares,” Replogle said.

Replogle and Lewis are grateful for the film crew’s hard work and their progress with “The Sins of Midnight.” Both students have big career aspirations and plan to work in the film industry after graduating.

“There are times that being involved in film can be stressful, but it’s all worth it,” Lewis said.

photos by Christina Noland

(top left) Senior Shaylnn Long applies make up for senior Callie Holthaus, an actress for “For the Sins of Midnight.”

(top right) Senior Zackary Hall was the second assistant director for the film. Hall plays Connect Four with other crew members while waiting for filming to start.

(middle right) Director Adin Repodgle rewrites a scene on the set towww add dialogue that wasn’t originally in the script.

Senior Larissa Morgan and first assistant director for the film and senior Malachi Lewis, and script supervisor for the film go over the shot lists to keep the film on schedule.

WFA members share love of cinema

by Emma Froese

The Washburn Filmmakers Association has become a creative space for mass media students.

Senior Rachel Janzen discussed how WFA has created many opportunities and connections for her.

“You get to meet a lot of people in film and you get to make those connections that really help you in future projects when you need to crew up,” said Janzen.

Not only does WFA create projects for the students to work on throughout the semester, such as shooting a recreation of the popular dance scene from the show “Wednesday,” but it also have guest speakers come and share their experience in the film industry and answer any questions the students may have.

“Anna Elizabeth James was someone that I was really excited about who came to speak. She told us about her experience directing a big-budget movie and discussed some of the behind-the-scenes work that she was a part of. It was very interesting because most of us have only worked on short films,” said Janzen.

Jess Seidel, the president of WFA, transferred to Washburn in the Spring of 2022, and she said she has seen growth in the organization.

“The students this year seem to be more invested in the growth and overall quality of WFA,” said Seidel.

Aside from shooting small scenes during meetings, WFA also plans events that allow the students who are a part of the organization to bond and grow closer.

“We’ve done a couple watch parties of past students’ works, as well as game nights where we do trivia,” said Seidel.

Most people like movies and film, but the students in WFA are passionate about the process.

“What I love about WFA is that everyone can get together in this united love of cinema and make films. Everybody is really supportive of everyone’s creative endeavors, and we really function as a community,” said Seidel.

photo by Christina Noland

(above) Trevon Falcon and Aid Replogle discuss how to frame an upcoming movie shot.

Paris Traveling to

photo courtesy of Maria Stover Visiting the Palace of Versailles is like entering another world. From its massive structure and grounds to the opulence and details throughout the palace, visitors might imagine what it must have been like to live there.

(from left, front row) Maggie Cabrera, Daniel LopezHernandez, Alyssa Storm, Taylor Romanchek, and Elisha Haverkamp; (back row) Maria Stover, Tiana Smith, Olivia Watson, Jess Seidel, Shiann Olberding, and alumnus Terry Ralston.

photos courtesy of Maria Stover Les Floralies provided a nice backdrop for a quick group photo. Students saw a variety of shops as they moved around the city.

(from left) Jess Seidel, Tiana Smith, Taylor Romanchek, Shiann Olberding, Olivia Watson, Alyssa Storm, Maggie Cabrera, Daniel Lopez-Hernandez, and Elisha Haverkamp.

(left) Students spent part of their time in Paris visiting with highlevel French media professionals.

Nine students and one alumnus headed to Paris to experience Parisian culture and media training with mass media professor and chair, Maria Stover. One of the many sights the group visited was the Louvre, where many were surprised to see for themselves how small the famous Mona Lisa painting is.

(from left, front row) Maggie Cabrera, Taylor Romanchek, Alyssa Storm, Daniel Lopez-Hernandez; (middle row) Olivia Watson, Tiana Smith, Jess Seidel, Elisha Havercamp; (back row) Shiann Olberding, and alumnus Terry Ralston.

photo courtesy of Maria Stover

The Palais Royale was bult in the 17th century. It features a courtyard surrounded by stone columns that show off artwork by Daniel Buren, a French artist known for his installations featuring alternating stripes at specific places. This piece, commonly called Colonnes de Buren was installed between 1985-1986. It’s a popular place for visitors to take photos.

photo courtesy of Maria Stover

Notre Dame is still closed because of construction. The cathedral caught fire in 2019, but you can see the towers in the background as the group stands on Orléans street in front of the Seine River, which meanders thorugh Paris.

From top: Jess Seidel, Taylor Romanchek, Daniel Lopez-Hernandez, Olivia Watson, Shiann Olberding, Maggie Cabrera, Alyssa Storm, Tiana Smith, Elisha Haverkamp and Terry Ralston.

photo courtesy of Maria Stover

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