Spring 2024 Mass Media Messenger

Mass Media Messenger

Spring 2024

Volume 35, Issue 1

Editor-in-Chief: Brooke Petersen

Design Director: Kayla Locke

Managing Editor: Eli McDaniel

Staff: Braylon Alexander

LeSha’ Davis

Ben Doole

Miles Moore

Jami Morain

Miriam Paredes

Contributors: Cierra Haner

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 MM403 Advanced Professional Media Writing.

All issues are available online at issu.com/ massmediamessenger.

From the Editor

Dear Readers,

After four years of attending Washburn University, I am proud to say that I am the editor-in-chief of this issue of the Mass Media Messenger.

As an English literature major, I was worried I would feel like a fish out of water when I began my mass media minor. But, everyone in the mass media department is so kind and welcoming.

I am also so lucky to have all my classmates be as dedicated as I am to making the Messenger high quality. They have put their blood, sweat and tears into this issue, and I am so proud of everyone involved.

Without further ado, let me present this newest issue of the Mass Media Messenger!

Sincerely,

Brooke Petersen

Mass media students complete their internships to start the next step in their careers

MM222 students dive into the world of script writing with the help of lecturer Sam Finch

Mass media graduates share their life updates

Excel impacts community Wallace pursues visionary philanthropic initiatives Algorithms drive traffic

Advisors Excel creates opportunities for Washburn and the Topeka community

Alumnus Titonian Wallace creates scholarship to help Black students in his community

Social media algorithms create challenges and opportunities for content creators.

Content creators construct secret languages to get around censorship on social media

Department creates club to help connect students

Students earn honors across campus and Kansas

From student minors to faculty updates and news, learn what’s new in mass media

See which films earned awards and see a few festival highlights

Internships complete curriculum

by Eli McDaniel

An internship is a vital portion for the completion of a Washburn mass media degree. Internships provide a great way to get hands-on, in-person experience to prepare students for a future career. Interning is an opportunity to gain professional connections in media.

This semester, mass media has two interns with Advisors Excel and one intern with the Topeka Chamber of Commerce.

Along with being a full-time student and planning the WIFI Film Festival, Abby Davis, Advisors Excel web design intern, works her days fulfilling tickets and making changes to clients’ websites.

“I will go in and make edits to client websites and as soon as I hit publish, it is live,” Davis said.

This has been the most challenging aspect of the internship as Davis has had to acquire the confidence to hit submit.

“What makes it hard is the pressure of getting it right,” Davis said.

Prior to taking on the job alone, Davis spent most of her training time observing AE employees who carry out the same duties.

Through that process, Davis was assigned a mentor who showed her the ropes. Now, she works independent-ly and sends completed tickets to her mentor for quality assurance.

“Before submitting anything, I send it to my mentor,” Davis said.

During her shadowing period and training process, Davis has been able to master WordPress along with testing the waters of her newfound coding skills.

“They took the time and effort to teach me these things, knowing I had no experience,” Davis said. “The ability to do and learn something new has been super fulfilling.”

Before interning with Advisors Excel, Davis didn’t have much to show for her resume.

“I didn’t have any of the experience Advisors Excel was asking for, yet they still hired me because they were dedicated to teaching me on the job,” Davis said.

Davis urges anyone who is thinking about applying for a job or internship to apply, regardless of the experience a company is asking for.

Alongside Davis, both with the WIFI Film Festival and at Advisors Excel, is Charlize Easter, account management intern and sub-account coordinator.

Easter works in the Creative Account Management department of Advisors Excel. There she double-checks that tickets submitted by clients get to the right places inside AE.

“We are basically the eyes of a project,” Easter said.

After changes have been made, the ticket returns to Easter, who checks if the ticket was taken care of properly.

“Through the mentorship process, everyone is very easygoing and wants to help,” said Easter, who has been successful in learning new applications important to her future career.

“It has been very fulfilling, considering I want to go into book management,” Easter said.

Throughout her training period, Easter has been trained on Adobe Workfront, an industry-standard in project management. Along with that, a variety of the project management processes used at Advisors Excel correlate well to the book marketing field.

“Having that skill under my belt is very important, and I wouldn’t have learned it any other way, if not for Advisors Excel,” Easter said.

With all the learning on the fly, Easter has had to take feedback as constructive and not see it as personal attacks and negative critiques.

“That’s the hardest part because it feels personal, but you can’t take constructive feedback as criticism,” Easter said.

While Easter has learned to not wear her emotions on her shoulders, as an introvert, she still finds engaging with people nonstop draining. She has learned to not let her emotions get the best of her while at work because she understands more about the professional workplace.

Across Topeka, another intern is wrapping up her time up at the Kansas Chamber of Commerce. Kayshiona

Acquaye, business analysis reporter intern, was directed to the chamber by professor Maria Stover.

Acquaye works with the chamber to lead efforts to pass pro-business legislation, ultimately ensuring bill passage.

During her time in the chamber, Acquaye rewrites press releases and reaches out to sources for additional quotes or to clarify information. She writes all about business news and “anything that has to do with Kansas and business,” Acquaye said.

Acquaye has learned many new skills while at the chamber that she did not previously have at Washburn.

“Their main focus is solely on business writing, which is not something anyone at Washburn has taught me to do,” Acquaye said.

The most fulfilling part of Acquayes time in the chamber has also been her biggest struggle. She is learning to adjust from investigative writing to business writing.

“We are not marketing anything; we are telling a business story,” Acquaye said.

While Acquaye struggles to shift from one form of writing to another, all within the same week, she had three mentors during her time in the chamber. They

helped Acquaye learn how to write from a business-like mindset.

Her current mentor is the chambers communications manager, Rachel Harden, ‘10. Harden assisted Acquaye in learning how to switch from writing in a journalism point of view to a new, more business-oriented standpoint.

Along with her newfound form of writing, Acquaye has learned a valuable lesson that she can take with her to any future career.

Acquaye (below) Senior Kayshiona Acquaye found her internship at the Kansas

“I have learned how to have the patience to learn something you have never done before,” Acquaye said. Internships continue to give mass media students invaluable experience and confidence, and these opportunities allow students to see how to apply the skills they have gained while learning new ones on the job.

photo by Eli McDaniel

(left) Abby Davis and Charlize Easter have both found internships at Advisors Excel.

photo courtesy of Kayshiona

Chamber of commerce.

Storytelling

Comes alive in Student Scripts

by Braylon Alexander

Students in MM 222 screenwriting, taught by lecturer Sam Finch, know creativity brings its own challenges. These students are crafting captivating narratives meant to be shown on the big screens, and students hope their final drafts are worth the process.

The assignment at hand is to write a 12-page short film. Students are learning the intricacies of crafting compelling plots, developing in-depth characters and mastering the art of dialogue.

“They are writing scripts that will hopefully one day turn into short films,” said Finch. “They can write about whatever they would like, but what they’re being graded on are the concepts that they have learned in the class.”

As we look in the creative process, it seems to come easy for some students. The problem for them may be having too many ideas.

“The hardest part about the final script project is settling on how much you want to get away with trying to fit into a screen play,” said Jacob Maynard, a junior with a concentration in film and video. “You always have to seek out new, you have to seek out the now to find out what people are actually liking.”

It’s not just about writing a script, Maynard focuses on what could be relatable to audiences but is also creative.

Echoing his sentiment, Sean Alen-Little, a freshman with a passion for film and video, shares his own struggle. “Screenwriting is a lot harder than it sounds and looks. This project is the biggest story I’ve ever written and when you’re given a page limit it also feels like your story is limited.“

These students understand the impor-

tance of grounding their stories in reality, infusing them with themes that resonate with audiences on a deeper level. Whether tackling issues of identity, love, loss or redemption, each screenplay is a labor of love, crafted with care and attention to detail.

Yet, as any writer will attest, the path to a final script is filled with challenges. Deadlines come quick, and the pressure to meet those deadlines can sometimes damper creativity. They support each other through writer’s block, offering feedback and encouragement when needed most.

Finch allows students to peer edit and help inspire a student’s best work. It’s a collaborative effort, with each member of the group contributing their own perspective to the collective vision.

As the semester progresses, so too, does the evolution of their scripts. What began as concepts on a blank page now takes shape as fully-fledged narra tives, complete with compelling characters and plot twists.

It’s not just about earning a grade or meeting a deadline. It’s about the passion for storytelling that drives these students forward, pushing them to new areas of creativity and innovation. And as they put the finishing touches on their screenplays, they do so with the knowledge that they are one step closer to realizing their dreams of seeing their stories come to life on the big screen.

youcodY s,ni,::lts•

EXT. ALLEYWAY - NIGHT

REX, late 30's, running down a cramped and dark alleyway. Steam, smoke, and rain litter the air around him as the neon lights above the buildings flash like a neon boom.

One more dash and a turn, Rex faces two alleys going opposite directions, one right and left.

Moving his left hand off of his duty pistol, Rex moves his hand in the air to his left ear.

REX

Which way is it? Left or right?

Only static fills the sound within his left ear.

Rex stops and loads his duty pistol and cocks it back. He spins it in his hand.

REX (CONT'D)

LENNA, I don't have much time here, which way is it!

LENNA {V.O.)

Left, on your left.

REX

Ok, anything up here I should know about? Are there any guards?

LENNA (V.O.)

Not that I can see, the thermals this thing aren't that good ya know.

Good enough. on

REX

Th&.nlc.

photo courtesy of Andrew Escandon

Andrew Escandon, ’14, kneels in front of his larger-than-life visuals he created for the upcoming 2025 Cattlecon. The scene was set up on the 2024 Cattlecon trade show floor in Orlando, Florida.

Spring 2024 Alumni Updates

by Ben Doole

Sarah Buchanan, ‘21, is a freelance photographer and does work for Sporting Kansas City, KC Mavericks, Lawrence Journal-World and the University Daily Kansan. She will get her graduate degree in digital and integrated marketing communications from The University of Kansas in May of 2025.

Andrew Escandon, ‘14, currently works at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, where he has worked for the past year. Escandon has been designing convention graphics and working alongside the Beef It’s What’s For Dinner brand marketing team.

Rachel (Whitten) Harden, ‘10, is the communications manager for the Topeka Chamber of Commerce, where she has worked since February. She is married to Washburn law alumnus, BJ Harden, ‘12.

James Norman, ‘06, is a contracts attorney II, for the Kansas Department of Transportation where he has worked for the last six months.

Cathryne (Sharton) Klise, ‘15, is a senior marketing coordinator at HME Incorporated. In May of 2023, Klise gave birth to her son, Carson.

Christina Noland, ‘23, has worked at Compass Marketing and Advertising Partners for seven months as a creative strategist. Noland also won her final two Addy Awards from the Topeka Ad Federation as a student. She earned gold in photography and logo design. The 2023 Kaw Yearbook was named All Kansas from Kansas Collegiate Media in April and Noland was the book’s editor-in-chief.

Josh Rouse, ‘12, is the enrollment marketing and communications coordinator for Washburn. He married Charice Scott Feb. 29, 2024.

Israel Sanchez, ‘15, was promoted to director of equity and business development for Go Topeka, where he has worked for three years.

Rachel Harden

Carson Klise, son of Cathryne Klise

Marissa Schimke, ‘23, is a CTE A/V communications teacher, for Lansing USD469 public schools. Marissa has received one staff spotlight for being the teacher in charge of the school news and helping to expand the size and keep the content flowing.

Logan Schmidt, ‘22, is the assistant business/ ticketing manager for Washburn Athletics.

Balin Schneider, ‘21, is a producer for Arvonia Films in Los Angeles. Schneider’s feature film, “Out of Time: The Material Issue Story,” that he created while he was at Washburn, is doing well on Amazon Prime Video. Schneider just finished shooting his second film, and it should be out in the next year.

Christine Stoner, ‘06, is the office coordinator for the College of Arts and Science at Washburn. Her son will be graduating from Washburn Tech welding program this May, and her daughter is currently attending Washburn Tech for automotive maintenance.

Ernie Webb III, ‘98, is the director and strategic enrollment management marketing and communications for Washburn. Ernie has been married for 11 years and has three kids. His book, “Goodbye, Butterfly: Murder, Faith and Forgiveness in a Small Kansas Town,” is scheduled to be published in August 2024.

Christina Noland

Marissa Schimke

Ernie Webb III

Christine Stoner

Advisors Excel impacts community

by Messenger Staff

In the very near future, Henderson Learning and Resource Center will get a significant overhaul, which includes a new name, “Advisors Excel Hall.” The renovations to Advisors Excel Hall are possible because of a generous gift from the building’s new namesake, Advisors Excel, a national firm that provides services and support to individual financial professionals.

Students in MM403 toured Advisors Excel and met with alumni during the spring 2024 semester. From left: Regina Cassell, LeSha’ Davis, Braylon Alexander, Tracey Stratton, Emily Burd, Eli McDaniel, Madison Dean, Ally Ulsaker, Miles Moore, Kevin Dame, Mallory McDaniel, Ben Doole, Kristen Grimmer. front: Miriam Paredes, Brooke Petersen, Jami Morain, Carrie Sunday, Rachel Janzen.

photo courtesy of Advisors Excel

The Department of Mass Media has been part of the history of Henderson for many years, and it also shares a bit of history with Advisors Excel.

Back in 2004, AE was founded by three Washburn alumni: Derek Thompson, David Callanan and mass media major Cody Foster. Foster, ’99, and more than 20 current employees at AE are mass media graduates. Many other mass media students and alumni have worked or interned at AE at some point in their careers.

This spring, students in MM403 Advanced Professional Media Writing visited AE’s offices to learn more about the company.

Since its inception, Advisors Excel has redefined the independent marketing organization of the financial advising industry. With its 900+ employees and community partners, AE employees work hard to deliver quality work for both its advisors and the greater Topeka community.

It’s ranked 92 in Fortune Magazine’s Top 100 Best Small and Medium Workplaces for Millennials, and it is the only Kansas business on the list.

AE Culture

“I’ve had jobs before Advisors Excel, but this place has brought me more fulfillment

in a career than I knew possible,” said Mallory McDaniel ‘07, Director of client account management, who just celebrated 10 years at Advisors Excel. “I can’t even imagine the person I would be if I hadn’t found this place. They really emphasize the relationship side of things with our clients and with each other.”

AE works behind the scenes to help independent financial advisors all across the nation by building dynamic work practices and training, providing award-winning services, hosting seminars and oneon-one coaching sessions.

“We are a community of people who love to work for our advisors, who are helping other people across the country retire and enjoy the rest of their lives,” said Madison Dean ‘21, corporate project manager.

Those who work at AE spend their time researching advisors and clients to produce the best possible outcome. While AE is dedicated to the advisors it supports, it is equally dedicated to the care and growth of those it employs.

“It is a great culture and treats its employees well,” said Carrie Sunday ’09, compliant advertising analyst. With a group of founders and leadership heads that invest heavily in the internal staff, employees feel that AE helps them grow on a professional level as well as a personal level.

“I feel responsible for the happiness and fulfillment for a chunk of the people that work here,” McDaniel said. “It’s actually fulfilling, creating those relation-

Emily Burd, ‘23 digital production assistant 10 months at AE

Kevin Dame, ‘09 video art director 7 years at AE

Madison Dean, ‘21 corporate project manager 2 years at AE

Rachel Janzen, ’23 video production intern 1 year at AE

Mallory McDaniel ’07 director, client account management team 10 years at AE

Tracey Stratton, ’95 manager, public relations 8 years at AE

ships and creating that environment.”

Along with helping advisors balance their businesses, AE provides opportunities to help employees balance their work life. With a big food court, gym and hiking trails, internal staff can balance out their day in any way they see fit.

“We’re pretty much encouraged to take brain breaks,” Emily Burd ’23, digital production associate said, “Right beside my desk, we have a little putting green. If I’m done working and I just need a break, I just go do some putts.”

AE gives back

It’s no secret that AE does many great things for the Topeka community. On its website, AE explains the causes it supports: children and education, poverty, hunger, financial literacy and mental health.

“That’s one thing I love about AE, we are actively giving back to our community in any way we can,” Dean said.

According to Tracey Stratton, ’95, AE employees are required to provide three hours of community engagement every quarter, which adds up quickly with almost 1,000 employees. Employees serve at places like Ronald McDonald House, Harvesters, or the Boys and Girls Club. AE also adopts a family around the holidays and provides them with gifts.

“We’re really here to just to make Topeka a better community and also to make our advisors’ lives better, and in the clients that they serve better,” said Stratton.

Because Advisors Excel has a strong connection with the Topeka community, Stratton stays busy as the public relations manager. She works with public relations vendors to provide programs for the financial advisors, and one of her current focuses has been AE’s purchase of Topeka’s Westridge Mall.

“I’m working with the new mall manager,” said Stratton. “And we’re trying to promote all the events, and all the big happenings. We hired a developer, and we’re getting ready to hire the architect.”

Otherwise Stratton’s main focus is working with different media platforms with the exception of using print for an advisor’s magazine.

“I do mostly traditional media stuff,” said Stratton. “I’m working with television stations, radio stations, PR firms and newspapers.”

The workload

“If you know what you want to do, whatever you can do each day to keep working toward that and make yourself better, then it’s going to open doors eventually,” said Kevin Dame ‘09, video art director.

Carrie Sunday, ‘09 compliant advertising analyst 3 years at AE

His team does up to 50-70 shoots in their studio and another 30-40 on the road. Dame says the video spotlights and features are the team’s bread and butter.

“We’ll have the advisor come in and do kind of a short documentary-style interview, and what their answers are as the foundation of for their video,” said Dame.

Dame finds managing multiple tasks at once the most challenging part of his job.

“Have you ever seen those plate spinner guys… they’ve got like 16 plates spinning on sticks, I feel like as a manager, that’s what you’re doing.”

However, he does appreciate that AE employees are encouraged to keep a good work-life balance, which cuts out a lot of overtime.

Overall, the video team has people who can do just about everything. Dame tries to give his team tasks that he know they will excel at. If he knows an animation video is needed for a project, he will try to give this assignment to a team member that excels at creating animations.

“I will say that I do kind of miss some of the creating that I used to do. It’s different now. I still love what I do, and I love the transition I have made into being a director... But I do miss some of that sometimes, to just dive into an edit and get lost in it sometimes,” Dame said.

Rachel Janzen, video production intern at Advisors Excel and a 2023 Washburn

graduate.

“I help out in the studio with the setup, takedown, and then also like shooting, which is really fun,” Janzen said. “If I’m not on a studio shoot, I am pretty much just editing all day.”

Janzen said she wants to learn more about animation because she sees it as a fun and useful skill.

“Advisors Excel has become a place where I can really learn and grow. And I’m not scared to ask my teammates questions that I don’t know.”

McDaniel’s main focus is ensuring her team has what they need to succeed, such as having the proper tools, aware of changes and new offers, while also making sure they are comfortable with talking to advisors.

“I’ve got a set of seniors that I meet with several times a week to make sure that we’re meeting the needs of our teams and see what we’ve got to get done for the week,” said McDaniel.

Jordan Yoder has worked at AE for six years, and during this time she has been able to reflect on what kind of work she found satisfying.

Because she started at the company as an intern, she felt comfortable coming on full-time, but at one point she realized she realized she had to turn down a promotion in order to pursue work in another part of the company because it was a better fit for her.

“I serve as the main point of contact for advisors whenever they call in and they have a question about event registration or an escalation on a policy that

Ally Ulsaker, ‘19 corporate project manager 2 years at AE

Jordan Yoder, ’19 marketing relationship manager 6 years at AE

they’re working on,” said Yoder, ’19. “I kind of serve as the quarterback of our team and get the advisors in the right place to provide them with the answers they need.”

While Yoder is currently in her third department at Advisors Excel, she is also responsible for another staff member’s persistence.

Ally Ulsaker learned all about AE when friend Yoder was an intern, and she knew it was exactly the kind of company she was seeking.

“I wanted to work here because of all the outreach AE does within Topeka. I think community is a really sacred space,” said Ulsaker, who said she applied five different times before being hired by Advisors Excel.

Ulsaker has found her place in AE on a team that helps the internal clients at Advisors. Right now, she works with a new marketing team, and she has been working on some things for the mall project as well. She says it can be challenging to try to gather all of the information to rely a designer to get a product created correctly for a client. When you are handling a lot of projects, it can be easy to overlook a small detail, which means someone might be waiting on you.

Once the Creative Team does its work, there’s another team standing by to cross the “T’s” and dot the “I’s.”

As a compliant advertising analyst, Sunday makes sure all of the work created is in compliance with the Security and Exchange Commission. Her department also does the research legwork for issues deal with copyright or trademarks. Sunday sees her degree being put to good use each day.

“I see different types of marketing every single day, so the comprehensive way that mass media teaches has prepared me for that because you see a little of everything, like the writing and the pieces of marketing such as SEO and platform performance, which is important for my job because I need to analyze so much everyday.”

Sunday says she found her way to AE after the HR manager at an old job moved to AE and called Sunday about an open position, which she applied for and got.

photo courtesy of Advisors Excel

From left: Emily Burd, Tracey Stratton, Madison Dean, Ally Ulsaker, Jordan Yoder, Kevin Dame, Carrie Sunday, Rachel Janzen and Mallory McDaniel.

Titonian Wallace sr. pursues visionary philanthropic initiatives

by Miles Moore

Titonian Wallace Sr., ’14, is an accomplished individual with experience in digital marketing and philanthropy. His journey from Washburn University has lead to the founding of Nesace Media and his dedication to creating educational opportunities for Black students.

Wallace’s role at Nesace Media encompasses various responsibilities, showcasing his expertise and leadership in digital marketing, such as social media management, conducting digital marketing campaigns, SEO monitoring, data analysis and project management.

Nesace Media was officially founded in June 2016 when Wallace completed his education at Washburn University and Fort Hays State.

“After completing my BA in Mass Media and a Certificate of Marketing, I found immense potential in social media for business marketing,” said Wallace. “This sparked the creation of Nesace Media.”

However, with the creation of Nesace Media, came challenges for Wallace to overcome.

“After forming the business entity, it was a process of crafting our service offerings, selecting the right tools and software, and actively networking to build a clientele base,” said Wallace.

Luckily, Wallace was able to relocate to Oregon for better opportunities. After settling, his wife’s career took off and allowed him to dedicate himself entirely to Nesace Media.

“The move enabled me to focus entirely on expanding and refining our business operation, furthering our reach, and delivering service to our clients,” said Wallace.

Now Nesace Media has expanded and grown to address the needs of a variety of clients, showcasing the hard work and dedication of Wallace.

“Presently, Nesace Media caters to businesses across diverse industries, offering a comprehensive range of marketing services,” said Wallace. “Our focus is particularly on collaborating with larger enterprises seeking to enhance their marketing capacity to

photo courtesy of Titonian Wallace Sr. Wallace is the owner of Nesace Media.

outsource marketing services rather than maintaining an in-house team.”

Beyond his professional endeavors, Wallace has made significant contributions to his community through the establishment of the Black Advisory Business Council Scholarship Fund in Hillsboro, Oregon, demonstrating his commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders.

“I wanted to leave a legacy that will last and benefit others around me,” said Wallace.

Wallace started the fund to support Black graduating seniors from the Hillsboro school district, reflecting Wallace’s dedication to creating educational opportunities.

He reached out to the Hillsboro Community Foundation in Oregon, a nonprofit 501C3 that administers scholarships, to start learning about how to start the fund.

“I first thought you needed the backing of a big company to start this kind of fund, but after doing some research and asking around, I found out I could start the fund myself with a donation,” said Wallace.

With this knowledge in hand, Wallace made a personal donation of $1,000 to start the fund.

“I took the money out to not only start the fund but to also show others that I have skin in the game,” said Wallace.

The Black Advisory Business Council Scholarship Fund currently gives out two scholarships: one educational and one vocational.

“The ultimate goal is to get the fund up to $250,000 because that amount will allow the fund to distribute up to $10,000, which would mean two $5,000 scholarships,” said Wallace. “When we reach that point, I believe that is when we are making a lifechanging impact for these kids because $5,000 is a big chunk for any school and even multiple semesters for a vocational school.”

The Black Advisory Business Council Scholarship Fund is not the only thing Wallace is doing for his community.

As of May 1, 2024, Wallace will serve as the chair of the board of directors for the Washington County Chamber of Commerce in Hillsboro, marking a significant milestone as the first person of color to hold this position in the organization’s 129-year history.

Wallace’s journey from Washburn University to his creation of Nesace Media, combined with his philanthropic initiatives, exemplifies his commitment to excellence and community impact. As he continues to inspire others through his endeavors, Wallace serves as an example of the transformative power of education, perseverance, and a genuine desire to uplift others.

photo courtesy of Titonian Wallace

(from left): Deanna Palm, president and CEO Washington County Chamber of Commerce; Titonian Wallace Sr., owner Nesace Media; Rick Zurow, executive director, Hillsboro Community Foundation.

Algorithms drive traffic

By Miles Moore

The dynamics of social media have transformed significantly in recent years, largely influenced by the algorithms that govern the visibility of content on users’ feeds. This shift has compelled content creators and marketers to adjust their approaches to effectively reach their target audiences.

Social media algorithms are complex systems used by social media platforms to determine the content that appears in a user’s feed. These algorithms function through machine learning and use a set of factors known as ranking signals to determine the relevance and value of each piece of content for each user at a specific point in time.

The key points to focus on when understanding algorithms are as follows: personalization, machine learning, ranking signals and content scanning.

Social media algorithms aim to personalize the content shown to each user based on their past interactions with the platform. For instance, TikTok’s “For You Page” and X’s, formally known as Twitter, “For You” or “Following” timelines are tailored to each user’s preferences and behavior.

Machine learning allows systems to learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed.

Ranking signals are the factors used by algorithms to rank the value of each piece of content. These signals can include user engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares), post timing, relevance and the user’s past behavior.

Content scanning allows the algorithms to comb the entirety of available content and then score and rank it based on the identified ranking signals to determine what appears in a user’s feed.

The impact of social media algorithms on marketers cannot be underestimated. In the past, marketers were able to reach a wide audience simply by posting content on social media platforms. However, with the rise of algorithms, organic reach has significantly decreased.

Taryn Reed, a social media specialist at Woodruff, offers firsthand insights into the impact of algorithmic changes on content strategies.

“Meta platforms started prioritizing video content in 2023, which resulted in our video content doing well,” said Reed. “However, while the algorithm is heavily promoting video content, that is not always the correct thing for what you’re trying to do, especially when it comes to appeasing a certain audience.”

Marketers have to use paid advertising to overcome the challenges posed by algorithms to ensure their content reaches their desired audience because organic reach just isn’t enough anymore.

“We pay for promotion because organically hacking the algorithm is not enough,” said Reed. “Utilizing targeted advertising can increase our chances, especially with how much content is out there.”

Creatives, such as artists, photographers, and writers, have also been impacted by social media algorithms, which have created both opportunities and

challenges, shaping the way they share and promote their work.

Christina Noland, a creative strategist for Compass Marketing and Advertising Partners, delves into the multifaceted nature of algorithmic influence by highlighting how vital it is to understand algorithms.

“If you’re not aware of the algorithms, none of your content is going to show up,” said Noland.

“However, algorithms don’t always decide on what will show up. Sometimes what is promoted is more based on trends in design and writing. If the design is too complex and takes us too long to read, then we’ll automatically skip it even if it is boosted by the algorithm.”

Noland also goes into the value of consistency as a preeminent factor in sustaining visibility and fostering audience expectations to make sure your viewers see the content.

“When it comes to developing marketing strategies to punching out content, consistency is almost always

king,” said Noland. “If you have a consistent thing popping up in front of your audience at a consistent time every day, it’s going to let people know you are here and you exist as a company or person.”

“I have a client that posts something funny every Friday that relates to their company, and some of their followers now expect to read something funny every Friday at 8:30 in the morning,” said Noland. “If you don’t follow a certain consistency with what everyone else is doing, you’re going to fall off even if you are paying for your ad to be upfront.”

Algorithms don’t always provide content creation challenges. A lot of the time clients interfere with what will work best for their marketing content.

“When you have people who don’t understand algorithms or how graphic design works to attract attention visually, then it gets tricky when creating content,” said Noland. “So you really have to fight for your knowledge and show your clients why your way will work.”

Artificial Intelligence plays a significant role in social media algorithms. Machine learning algorithms analyze vast amounts of data to identify patterns and make predictions about user preferences, and they are constantly evolving and learning from user interactions, enabling social media platforms to deliver personalized content to each user.

Gene Cassell, assistant athletic director for Communications at Washburn, highlights the importance of not relying on AI as your content creator.

“AI can be a slippery slope,” said Cassell. “Some schools in our conference use AI to write their game stories, and you can tell it’s AI because the language used doesn’t make sense in the context of a sporting event.

As social media algorithms shape the digital world, content creators and marketers need to stay adaptable and smart in their approaches. Although algorithms pose challenges, they also create chances for tailored content. By grasping how these algorithms work and using AI as a helpful tool, creators and marketers can navigate social media changes and connect with their audiences. As algorithms change, strategies must also evolve for effective audience engagement in this fast-paced digital era.

Self-Censoring in Social Media

by Miriam Paredes and Brooke Petersen

Social media censorship is a contentious issue that has been discussed for a long time. On one hand, some rules are imperative to shield users from offensive material including violent imagery, false information and hate speech. Conversely, you can see there are different viewpoints on this topic; consumers can be in favor of allowing companies to have full control of what content can be allowed and others might view this as a violation of freedom of speech. Diverse viewpoints are bound to exist regarding the censoring of social media.

Furthermore, there is a debate about whether social media companies have an obligation to safeguard users from offensive content or to uphold the right to free speech. Certain words and phrases are prohibited in their videos on TikTok. Profanity, hate speech and other derogatory language are also among these banned words and phrases. Videos that encourage drug use, violence or other illicit activities are also prohibited on TikTok. TikTok encourages users to report any videos they believe violate the platform’s community guidelines and the list of prohibited words and phrases is updated frequently.

“I think if acts of violence are occurring, and we’re trying to spread information on acts of violence, wars, or atrocities that are occurring, and the news outlets, and social media outlets, where a lot of people are getting their news is being censored, then we’re not accessing real-world information that we need,” said Molly Steffes-Herman, campus advocate and university counselor.

If you’re familiar with TikTok, you probably have noticed a couple of videos of content creators spreading awareness or informing their viewers of something that they’ve learned. If they happen to talk about a sensitive subject, they’ll leave a short disclaimer in their video or else they’ll get demonetized. Users have to be mindful of certain words

they use or their videos will be taken down. In December of 2023, TikTok started censoring and striking people who spoke about the Israel-Hamas war. Once TikTok users figured out their videos weren’t being shown, they decided to say “watermelon” instead of Gaza, or it is “watermelon safe” to refer to brands that do not support Israel.

“I watch a lot of political videos and content creators that talk about issues that I find important so I understand why it can censor certain content creators, but I think each of us have an individual interest in a topic so they shouldn’t be demonetized for it,” said Charlize Easter, a mass media junior. “I think what comes into play is if their work is damaging or if it’s just downright wrong meaning it’s wrong as in it’s not right and wrong as if it’s false information. Like if someone is spreading false information to induce violence to other people then that’s where it should be coming into play or if it’s just people wanting to make downright bad content to increase violence or hate, that’s when censorship should come into play.”

TikTok’s algorithm is determined by many things such as user interactions, video information, and de-

“

If you are censoring yourself for fear that an app or social media platform would ban you beacuse of the words that you’re saying, then that is a bit of a violation,” said Aja Carter, editor-in-chief of the Washburn Review.

Regular words Gun

Censored

version

Pew pew

Unalive/unal!ve Seggs

Lesbian, gay, queer

Le$bian, g@y, que3r

vice and account settings. However, saying or showing a word that TikTok has deemed necessary to censor could greatly diminish how many people could see your video.

“Even if I disagree with it, it’s still a private company, they are able to operate their apps in the way it should be and you yourself sign a user agreement to their terms before signing up. So, even if I don’t like it, I still accept it because we’ve allowed companies like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to completely take over,” said Matthew Nyquist, associate professor of mass media. “The internet used to be very diverse; there are thousands upon thousands of sites that people would use, which now gives them more power. So it seems like it limits people’s speech because it’s such a massive platform, but it’s still a private platform.”

When you sign up for most things, there are terms and conditions, but most people don’t read what they are signing up for. As users of TikTok, they have agreed to whatever TikTok guidelines that are established.

“Sometimes minority opinions are really important,” said Kristen Grimmer, associate professor of mass media. “So if you think back even to the time of the United States when slavery was OK, legally, the majority opinion at that time was that it was OK to own slaves. Does that mean it was a good opinion? No. And if we never had people who wanted to talk about, ‘What if we don’t have slavery anymore?’ Would things have ever changed? So I think all changes instigate from a minority opinion somewhere. And then, they present their case, they get people on

board. And eventually, people are like, ‘Yeah, that makes sense. Why should we do this? Or why should we not do that?’ So I’m really against the censoring.”

A group of moderators on TikTok also examine videos and take down any that go against the community guidelines. Words such as dead, gun, or references to the LGBTQIA+ community like the word lesbian are banned from the app. Instead, creators change those words to unalive, pew pew, and le$bean (pronounced like le dollar bean) respectively, so they can still be used. For the most part, these words are inappropriate according to TikTok’s guidelines, such as swear words, but some of the words seem to be unnecessarily censored. Political speech and LGBTQIA+ content are among the topics that TikTok has been criticized for censoring

“We have freedom of speech for a reason, people are going to post what they want to post,” said Taylor Romanchek, a mass media junior. “And I think it’s also up to the individual to be aware of what they’re looking at and what they can see. Granted at the same time, I also feel that social media should be something that’s only accessible after a certain age because it is kind of mind molding, and how they’re presenting stuff, it is addictive.”

Since social media has become popular, there hasn’t been much regulation. Social Media companies have had a lot of power regarding what it allows users to post and how it promotes certain posts over others. As more research shows the impact of social media, it’s possible more rules and regulations will be imposed on these companies.

Scholarship Winners

Students receiving scholarships for the 2024-25 school year include: (back row, from left) Hannah Andersen, Tim White, Jeremy Ford (middle row) Kayla Locke, Aika Kajihara, Humphry Del Castillo, Tiana Smith, Rebekah McIntosh, Ashley Heavner, Bailey Collar (front) Morgan Albrecht , Taylor Bockover, Hannah Haslett, Scholarship recipients not pictured include Lily Kobach, Eli McDaniel and Jami Morain

photo by Cierra Haner

Outstanding Students

(above, from left) Seniors Aja Carter, Contemporary Journalism; Jess Seidel, Film and Video; Abby Davis Advertising and Public Relations; and Karli Bayliss, Student Media; were selected by the mass media faculty as the spring 2024 outstanding students. (right) Freshman Stella Whalen earned the outstanding student service award for her assistance in the mass media office.

photo courtesy of Sam Finch

Washburn Student Media earns awards from Kansas Collegiate Media

3rd Place: The Washburn Review Online

•The Washburn Review, Caroline Rea, Audio Story/ Podcast, 1st, Ancient Latin America - Laura Murphy

•The Washburn Review, Caroline Spiller, Column, 2nd, OPINION: Cultural barriers impact going vegan

•The Washburn Review, Aja Carter, LeSha’ Davis, Editorial, 3rd, Editorial: Student engagement remains low as enrollment increases

•The Washburn Review, Caroline Rea, Aja Carter, Headline Writing, 3rd, Battle of Words: Washburn students compete in a public speaking showdown

•The Washburn Review, Mia Anthony, Investigative/ In-Depth News Writing, HM, Washburn student takes on the fight for custodians to get higher pay

•The Washburn Review, Stuti Khadka, Review, 2nd, Book Review: Trevor Noah balances humor with harsh realities in his book ‘Born a Crime’

• The Washburn Review, Humphry Del Castillo, Social Media Promotion/ Marketing, 2nd , Welcome Back From Fall Break Reel

•The Washburn Review, Humphry Del Castillo, Social Media Promotion/ Marketing, HM, Halloween Generative AI Costume Reel

•The Washburn Review, Humphry Del Castillo, Social Media Reporting, HM, Washburn Day at the K

•The Washburn Review, Cierra Haner, Larissa Morgan, Video, 1st, Video Bods on the Block: Students reflect on lessons they learned in 2022

Student Media’s outgoing and incoming leaders celebrated a year of success at the recently opened Ichabod Grille. On the left side, Aja Carter, LeSha’ Davis, Mia Anthony, Karli Bayliss, Cheyenne Hittle and Humphry Del Castillo. On the left side, Stuti Ghimire, Stuti Kadkha, Jayme Thompson, Eden Conrad and Jeremy Ford.

photo courtesy of Regina Cassell

ALL-KANSAS: Indigo

• Indigo, Sydney Peterson, Column, HM, Best ways to find a study group

• Indigo, Humphry Del Castillo, Karli Bayliss, Event Coverage, 1st, It took a strike

• Indigo, Gloriänna Noland, Feature Writing, 1st, The Friendship that Began With a T-Shirt

• Indigo, Jeremy Ford, Feature Writing, 3rd, Is Big Pharma Hiding the Cure to Cancer

• Indigo, Christina Noland, Headline Design, 3rd, Sincerely, Us

• Indigo, Gloriänna Noland, Infographics, 1st, What you need to know about Morgan Hall

• Indigo, Karli Bayliss, Infographics, 2nd, Topeka Metro Map

• Indigo, Christina Noland, Infographics, HM, MAC OS Shortcut Keys / Microsoft Windows Shortcut Keys

• Indigo, Derek Blanchard, Christina Noland, Karli Bayliss, Magazine or Yearbook Cover, 2nd, Spring 2023 (Vol. 16, Issue 1)

ALL-KANSAS: The Sapphire

• The Sapphire, Christina Noland, Column, 3rd, Letter from the Editor

• The Sapphire, Shalynn Long, Christina Noland, Samikshya Subedi, Event Coverage, HM, A reunion to remember: “Anderson: A Fairy Tale Life”

• The Sapphire, Rhyann Cropper, Event Coverage, HM, Apeiron showcases students’ hard work

• The Sapphire, Kyle Etzel, Investigative/ In-Depth News Writing, 2nd, BSU responds to misappropriation

• The Sapphire, Larissa Morgan, News Photography, 1st, BSU responds to misappropriation

• The Sapphire, Christina Noland, News Photography, 2nd, They told me I couldn’t

• The Sapphire, Christina Noland, Photo Story (print), 1st, Kappa Sigma

• The Sapphire, Christina Noland, Photo Story (print), 2nd, Homecoming

• The Sapphire, Christina Noland, Photo Story (print), 3rd, WU Fest 2022

• The Sapphire, Christina Noland, Portrait Photography, 1st, Campus News & Events Division Page

Meet

the Mass media club officers

Morgan Albrecht

Eli McDaniel

Cheyenne Hittle

Jeremy Ford

Jeremy ford President Morgan Albrecht

Vice president

Eli McDaniel

Secretary

Cheyenne hittle Treasurer

Jeremy Ford, a mass media major with a concentration in journalism, is ready to represent the brand new mass media club with a smiling face. Ford brings plenty of mass media experience, being the copy chief for student media the past two years. As president, Ford is excited for other students to meet new people and gain more knowledge and experience related to mass media.

As a junior, Morgan Albrecht was voted to be vice president, and is ready for leadership experience within the mass media club. Albright is copy editor and reporter for student media, and she hopes to use her experience to create different activities that members will do. As vice president, she is excited for students to dive into their creative side and find something they enjoy, while meeting new people.

Eli McDaniel, a sophomore mass media major with a concentration in advertising and public relations, is excited to get involved and be apart of the start up process for the mass media club.

McDaniel has already made himself known around campus by being voted to be secretary by other mass media students. As secretary, McDaniel is excited to use his time management skills to plan and help the officers ensure a wellrun club.

The treasurer, Cheyenne Hittle, is a sophomore accounting and management major. Hittle is also the business manager for student media, so crunching numbers for the club will be second nature. Even though Hittle is not a mass media major, she is excited to meet more mass media students.

Student Recognition

Who’s Who at Washburn

Seniors Karli Bayliss and Aja Carter were named to the Who’s Who of Washburn.

Student

Employee Week

Jess Seidel was named outstanding student worker during Washburn’s Student Employee Week. Seidel also was admitted into the University of Southern California.

Apeiron 2024

by Regina Cassell (above) Students on the WIFI committee presented their work during the Oral Presentations at Apeiron. (from left, Abby Davis, Charlize Easter, Jess Seidel, Malachi Lewis and Karli Bayliss.

Senior Peter Sandquist (right) did a script read for one of his scripts. Sandquist also earned an honorable mention from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters for his documentary, “The Legacy of North Star.”

During Apeiron, Humphry Del Castillo also showed his travel film from his trip to Canda with Washburn University’s Freench Club

The Mass Media Club had its first social event at the end of April. Almost 20 students showed up to play games and have some food in the McPherson Booster Room in Petro Allied Health Center.

Photos

Photo by Maria Stover

Minors add marketability

by Jami Morain

All students who major in mass media at Washburn must choose a minor to satisfy graduation requirements.

Maria Stover, an interim assistant dean in the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of mass media, provided statistics of what mass media students have declared as their minors during the spring 2024 semester.

Minor Departments with Mass Media Majors

1-2 Students

4-5 Students

11-14 Students

17-18 Students

Coaching, Computer Information Sciences, Economics, Women Studies

Anthropology, English, Leadership, Music, Political Sciences, Religion, Theatre

Business, History, Sociology

According to the data gathered January 2024, communication was the most popular choice with 14.2% of students declaring it as their minor. Psychology and art followed to complete the top three.

Business was the sixth most popular option with 8.7%. Stover finds this interesting because it is one of the “harder” minors.

Most minors only take 15 credit hours to complete, but business takes 21 hours. Six of those 21 hours are also general education options.

Stover’s document showed 20 different minors, some with a smaller amount of mass media students, such as biology. Biology minors need 20 credit hours and eight of these hours must be at least 300-level.

Junior Mogli Gautier, chose to minor in biology because he is pursuing a career in either science journalism or to become a documentary filmmaker. He believes if he can spread awareness about nature and how it’s declining, people will start to care.

“Because some people don’t have access to nature,” Gautier said. “Like some people will never see a cow in their life. Let alone see an elephant outside of an enclosure.”

Lilly Kobach, mass media junior, chose her em-

Art, Communication Studies, Psychology

data gathered January 2024

phasis to be in PR and creative advertising with an art minor.

“I have always loved art, and I think that goes well with the creative aspect of my concentration,” said Kobach. “I’m just really happy I chose a minor thats almost like a for fun kind of thing that still ties into my major cause you want them to go together, but they don’t have to be the same thing.”

Junior Morgan Albrecht chose a minor in communication to better understand how to communicate through journalism or PR.

“I chose it because in mass media all the classes are more focused on the content part of it, not necessarily the theory behind interpersonal communication and organizational communication as well.”

Albrecht has taken away from her minor that communication is everywhere. Through symbols, clothes, and body language, people are constantly communicating, even if they don’t know it.

“By really understanding that happens in any different way that we don’t really think about, so in your nonverbal communication like body language, and in the words you say, so communication is going on all the time,” said Albrecht.

Department updates

by LeSha’ Davis

The Ladies of Mass Media

Regina Cassell, Kristen Grimmer and Maria Stover gave presentations to middle and high school students at the national Journalism Education Association / National Scholastic Press Association conference in Kansas City, Missouri.

Grimmer and Stover teamed up to present a session on column writing. To write an engaging column, they recommended using relatable examples and breaking down complex topics while writing in a unique voice. Cassell chose to discuss the importance of reading in relation with writing and shared some tips for creating good reading lists for journalists.

Maria Stover, Kristen Grimmer and Regina Cassell presented at a conference for middle and high school students in Kansas City.

Finch Mentos Students

Sam Finch, lecturer, mentored two students for their Aperion presentations. When writing a script, he advised his mentees to be open and flexible with their ideas. The two students created scripts for different types of media.

Peter Sandquist wrote a 15–20 page script that went in multiple directions before it became a finished piece. Humphry Del Castillo wrote a script for a travel vlog and it took multiple turns, but it turned out how the student wanted it to. Finch enjoyed watching the table read at Aperion. He felt Sandquist applied new concepts and was able to create a strong reading.

Finch watched Del Castillo’s video and was proud of the way he was able to shift gears after scrapping the original idea.

Finch felt both students created great projects and was proud he was there to help them.

photo courtesy of Maria Stover

photo by LeSha’ Davis

Sam Finch, lecturer, was teaching MM 222 Screenwriting and is known for being a handson professor with a passion for scriptwriting and documentary films.

During the WIFI Film Festival, associate professor Matt Nyquist hosted one of his former faculty from the University of Southern California, Alan Holzman, who was also WIFI’s featured filmmaker. (from left) Nyquist, Peter Sandquist, Holzman, Jess Seidel, Malachi Lewis and Ivan Brandt.

Matt Goes Hollywood

Associate professor Matt Nyquist, will begin full-time work on his feature-length film, “Eyes Open,” as soon as the semester wraps up. He will spend his summer and fall 2024 sabbatical on the project that has been 10 years in the making. Nyquist co-wrote the script with his wife, Tara, who Nyquist said was a natural scriptwriter.

The film’s logline reads, “In 1999, two small-town Kansas teenagers fall in love, discover a profound connection, and become lost when the world breaks them apart.”

You can follow the movie’s progress on the Instagram page, @eyesopenmovie.

Nyquist has brought three mass media alumni onto the project and expects to begin fundraising and designing shots in the near future. He hopes to raise $300,000bto make the film.

New Lecturer to Join Department

Dean Kruger, is joining the department as a lecturer this fall. Kruger will be teaching Intro to Mass Media, Professional Media Applications and Advanced Professional Media Applications. He is coming from Northern Illionois Unversity.

Professor Maria Stover and Senior Lecturer Regina Cassell celebrate 20-plus years of teaching at the Celtic Fox. Associate Professor Kristen Grimmer gifted the pair with crowns for the evenings festivities.

photo courtesy of Matt Nyquist

photo courtesy of Sam Finch

Roll Credits on WIFI ’24

Best Costume Design, Mekal Bailey, “Chairs”

Best Production Design, Kat Easto, “Chairs”

Best Sound Design, Ferran Pujol and Albert Fariñas, “Sincopat”

Best Cinematography: Narrative Film, “Richard C.Bell, “Chairs”

Best Cinematography: Documentary Film, Jay Windland, “Reinventing Recycling”

Best Editing for a Narrative Film, Pol Diggler, “Sincopat”

Best Editing for a Documentary Film, Jay Windland, “Reinvesting Recycling”

Best Directing for a Narrative Film, James Hughes, “Chairs”

Best Directing for a Documentary Film, Serge Krutsenko, “The Address on the Wall”

Best Film by a Kansas Middle or High School Student, Naoto Joboji, “Refill”

Golden Ichabod, Adin Replogle, “For the Sins of Midnight”

Performance by an Actress, Núria Florensa, “Sincopat”

Best Performance by an Actor, Akemnji Ndifornyen, “Chairs”

Social Progress Award, Serge Krutsenko, “The Address on the Wall”

Best Excellence in Title Design, Aidan Michael Kelley, “Linecap”

Best Animated Short Film, Aidan Michael Kelley, “Linecap”

Golden Bowtie, James Hughes, “Chairs”

Staff Bios

Locke Kayla Eli McDaniel Br0oke Petersen

Trading in mountain views for rolling hills and sunflowers, junior Kayla Locke, has found her place after moving to Topeka from Parker, Colorado, so she could attend Washburn University. She had never given much thought to mass media when she first attended Washburn, only to change majors after taking an elective course that sparked a passion. After three years in Topeka, Washburn has grown to be a place where she can flourish like a sunflower in the sun. The future is bright, despite the ups and downs of relocating, changing majors and all in between. Locke believes she has discovered her calling and created a better new route for her life than she could have ever imagined.

Self-proclaimed professional photographer and frequent gym attendee, Eli McDaniel, sets sight on a new goal of becoming a pro in the digital marketing realm.

McDaniel, born in ‘04, was introduced to the journalism and photography scene at age 17.

McDaniel spends his days attending classes and job coaching adults with special needs as a parttime job. “I’m good at two things; lifting heavy weights, and working with the special needs community,” said McDaniel.

As he grows in his knowledge of the mass media world, McDaniel helps his father run his hot sauce Instagram account on the side. “He needs my help, trust me,” McDaniel said.

While working as a library aide in high school and taking part in a club where she was able to read and review unpublished books, Brooke Petersen realized her love of editing. After her realization, she would get accepted at Washburn University and begin honing her skills. It has been almost four years since she started attending Washburn, and she is ready to start her career in the editing field.

Petersen was happy to accept the job of being this semester’s editor-in-chief of the Mass Media Messenger. She can’t wait until it is published so all the readers can see the hard work the entire class put into making the Messenger amazing.

Braylon Alexander

jami

morain

From Atlanta, Georgia, Braylon Alexander has possessed an unwavering passion for football and a desire to pursue a higher education. He continues to prove himself to be a well-rounded individual,

Despite an ongoing struggle with the others being unable to correctly say her first name (leeshay), Davis believes your name can be the reason you are who you are.

earning respect from his peers and professors. Alexander hopes to continue to do what he loves.

Ben is an all around athlete from Platte County, Missouri, where he grew up in a large family. Doole had two NAIA offers to play tennis in Missouri and had full-ride scholarship opportunities at Kansas

Aspiring journalist, Jami Morain, transferred to Washburn in hopes of earning her bachelor’s degree after Emporia State University cut multiple programs and fired 33 professors. At the time Morain,

Miles Moore led a nomadic life in his early years due to his father’s military service before settling in Topeka, Kansas.

Since switching his major from music to mass media with a focus

Growing up in a bustling household as one of five siblings, Miriam is no stranger to the choatic energy that runs rampant in mass media. Currently majoring in PR and advertising, Miriam

After finishing the spring Indigo and graduating from Washburn, Davis plans to take a break before pursing her dream of attending law school and settling into a career as a law librarian.

University and Park University. He has worked with the Washburn team and has received three D1 football job offers. His dream is to become a college football coach and work in college football.

was the managing editor of the The Bulletin, leaving her to report on the firings and faculty senate meetings. Luckily, Washburn read one of her articles about the firings and recruited her.

on advertising and PR, Miles has enjoyed most of the degree and wants to one day become an account planner at a firm.

has her sights set on the bustling streets of New York City, where she hopes to land a job after graduation as a publicist.

Miriam Paredes

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