The Mass Communicator

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Bridget Christopherson: Staff Award Winner Shines

Kyle Clark: Education in the Era of Budget Cuts

Aleesa Ross: Putting Others First

The Mass Communicator • A publication for alumni and friends of the Texas Tech University College of Mass Communications • Summer 2011


Vol. 36 No. 1 | Summer 2011

ON THE COVER

10 Brian Jensen: Luck, Skill and Raider Spirit by Lyann Sager, photos by Kent Sparkman

ALUMNI AND FRIENDS 6 8 16 22 26 28

Ron Askew: A Red Raider’s Journey to CEO Tod Robberson: A Lesson In Humility Joe Fairless: If You Want Something, Go Get It John Kirby: A Changing Environment Grace Hernandez: Don’t Let Life Pass You By Morris Lectureship: Business and Media

FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS 4 14 18 20 24 30

Aleesa Ross: Putting Others First Bridget Christopherson: Staff Award Winner Shines Jon Arnold: Landing that Dream Internship Kyle Clark: Education in the Era of Budget Cuts Sam Bradley: Going Above and Beyond in the Classroom Curtis Matthews and Wes Wise: Two Is Better than One

NEWS

MC Staff

Publisher Faculty editor Editor-in-chief Managing editor Art director Designer Photo editor

Dean Jerry C. Hudson Pete Brewton Kippra Hopper Ioanna Makris Britt Nunn Melissa Wofford Ryan Vatzlavick Kent Sparkman

© 2011, Texas Tech University College of Mass Communications

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Dean's Notes Dallas Scholarship Event Donor Listing Development Notes

additional stories online Derrick Ginter: Caring for the Whole Community Dean’s Council: Student Organization Makes Big Impact Graduate Students: Foreign Students Bring Diversity


Dean's Notes: From Dean Jerry C. Hudson—I continue to be impressed with the contributions faculty and staff have made to the success of the college during the past six to seven years. I am pleased that our progress can be measured by giant leaps instead of small steps. However, our original “public” goals were simple and strategic. The first goal was to become a college and the second goal was to develop a doctoral program. Yet, we knew that once we achieved these two major goals, plans to modify some of our initial objectives would be ongoing. The two major goals have made a significant impact on every aspect of our program from the quality of faculty, students and staff, to the respect of our alumni and colleagues. Several of you have commented that you are pleased with our success and that you have much pride in the quality of education you received from this great institution. Thank you for your loyalty to Texas Tech. Abbi Brickey, our development officer, described planned giving opportunities in the spring issue. We have talked to several alumni about planned gifts for supporting the future of the college. The college has established a $100,000 research endowment to support undergraduate and graduate research. The Clint Formby and Wendell Mayes Jr. Student Research Endowment honors two former Board of Regents chairmen, two former presidents of the Texas Association of Broadcasters, two Mass Communications Hall of Fame recipients, and two chairmen of the Mass Communications Advisory Committee. I express my deepest appreciation to Mr. Mayes for assisting in the establishment of this student research endowment. The college’s new facilities are on schedule for occupancy in fall 2012. The Daily Toreador will occupy space in our building. Susan Peterson, managing director of Student Media, and her staff will occupy the open space in the rotunda. Thanks to Provost Smith and V.P. Juan Munoz for assisting in the collaboration. We are excited about their move to our building. Beginning in September 2011, KTXT-FM and KOHM-FM will be under the administrative umbrella of the college. KTXT-FM will broadcast campus activities including play-by-play of women’s soccer, softball and volleyball. The station will also host a call-in sports program with video streaming on the college’s website. KOHM-FM will continue as an NPR affiliate. I have asked the college’s two associate deans, Dr. Kevin Stoker and Dr. Coy Callison, to write a brief description about some of the changes that will be made in their respective areas this coming year. From Dr. Kevin Stoker, associate dean of faculty—Since 2007, hundreds of thousands of traditional jobs in printing and publishing have been lost while more than 10,000 jobs have been created in web portals and Internet publishing. Online publishing is one of the few industries experiencing job gains during the recession. Most industry observers agree that the professional communicator of the future must be more entrepreneurial, more team oriented, and more interactive. With the changing media environment in mind, the college has launched two major initiatives this summer to position the college for the future. Our first initiative is to create a Digital and Media Studies program that prepares students to be more entrepreneurial in creating a mass communications degree that fits their needs. These students will take an additional core requirement in professional communication and an advanced class in digital and media literacy. In addition, they can select elective courses from one or more of the college’s four departments. The Digital and Media Studies program aims to promote strategic thinking about mass communications. By enhancing critical thinking and problem solving skills, we can better prepare students to identify trends, look for new business opportunities, and pursue advanced degrees in law, business, or communications. The second initiative started from the desire of department chairs to create a strategic vision for the future. The college’s department chairs and associate deans have been meeting regularly, identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Our goal is to establish a clear vision of who we are as a college, build on our strengths, and take advantage of our opportunities. We see this initiative as influencing the type of faculty we hire, the curriculum we teach, and the way we promote ourselves to external publics. We’ve completed our SWOT analysis and are in the process of identifying a vision and strategic plan that will impact the curriculum in each of our majors. From Dr. Coy Callison, associate dean of graduate studies—There are several new and exciting degree plan options at the graduate level in mass communications. In the master’s program, we have standardized all tracks to 30 hours. The thesis track requires the completion of eight classes and then six hours of thesis work. This track is best suited for students who are interested in theory-based research or continuing on to a Ph.D. program. The professional track requires completion of eight or nine classes and then either three or six hours of an internship, applied research project or other final project. Graduates of this track will be able to advance their careers with additional mass communications experience and a more robust set of skills. Within the professional track, students can pursue a sport and media focus that prepares graduates for careers in sports promotion, sports journalism, and sports outreach. The master’s program has room for growth. The one-year program and non-thesis option could add 12-15 students by fall 2012. In addition to the established Ph.D. program that has seen graduates successfully placed at universities all across the United States, we are looking forward to launching a new collaborative Ph.D. program with the Department of Exercise and Sports Science. Students in this program will complete half of their coursework in mass communications and half in sports management. Intended to bring together training in overseeing a sports organization and training in promotion, education, and information transmission via the media, the new program should be attractive to not only scholars and future college faculty members but also to athletic directors, sports agents, and sports sponsorship directors.

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DEVELOPMENT NOTES

Vision and Tradition: The Campaign for Texas Tech If you haven’t checked out the online giving page recently that keeps track of the progress Texas Tech has made toward our $1 billion fundraising campaign, I urge you to do so at www. visionandtradition.com. As of May 31, 2011, we had reached $774 million and as a Texas Tech alumna and staff member, I feel intense pride every time I see the bar graph grow. I hope as fellow alumni and Red Raider enthusiasts, you will also delight in the bold statement that a successful capital campaign in this economy can boast for our university. “Vision and Tradition: The Campaign for Texas Tech” kicked off in September of 2005 and we are well on track to reach our $1 billion goal by 2013. Thanks to the generosity of our alumni and friends, we are three-quarters of the way there. This is the largest fundraising campaign ever undertaken by the Texas Tech University System and represents an important time of growth for the university. If you have been thinking about giving to our college or to the university, now is the time to do so. There are many ways that you can help us reach our campaign goal. Of course, any monetary donation you make to the College of Mass Communications counts toward the campaign. For example, we just secured our first naming opportunity for the new Mass Communications Building. Not only did David and Cathy Swofford add their name permanently to our Television and Video Studio in the new building, but also contributed to our scholarship endowment AND contributed to Texas Tech’s overall capital campaign. Their generous contribution made an impact in many more ways than one. Another example of a gift that impacts more than just our students in mass communications is the recent establishment of a student research fund through a stock gift from Wendell Mayes. This fund was established in memory of Clint Formby and will not only aid our college in attracting the best and brightest students who are interested in communications research, but it also counts toward Texas Tech’s overall journey to tier-one research status and the capital campaign. For those who do not wish to make a cash donation or want to supplement a cash gift, you can also contribute to the campaign through a planned gift. We have talked a lot about planned giving recently and it seems to be sparking some interest. The most common planned gift is a bequest in a will or estate plan. By documenting your intent to leave Texas Tech and the College of Mass Communications in your will, your estimated contribution not only counts toward our capital campaign, but also makes you a member of the Matador Society. As a member of the Matador Society, you will receive a print of the Masked Rider statue, be listed in the annual roll of the Matador Society, receive an invitation to the society’s annual gala and also have access to estate and gift planning seminars. Furthermore, your bequest is flexible, and you retain the ability to modify it at any time to fit your family’s needs. Although we have accomplished many goals this year in fundraising for our college and the university’s capital campaign, there are many major milestones left to complete before the campaign ends. We hope that as you consider your philanthropic opportunities, you include the College of Mass Communications and Texas Tech University as a part of them. Every amount, large and small, can make a difference in the quality of our program and the faculty and students we can recruit. We thank you for your support, we celebrate with you in the progress we have made so far, and we ask that you continue to help us strive toward our unprecedented goal. Sincerely, Abbi Brickey

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Dean Jerry C. Hudson addresses the crowd at the 2011 Scholarship event

Dallas Scholarship Event he Dallas Mass Communications Alumni Association hosted in April 2011, an “Evening with David Feherty” at the Addison Convention Center to raise funds for its endowed scholarship. Feherty is a noted writer and broadcaster with CBS Sports, and former professional golfer on the European and PGA tours. On June 1, Feherty premiered his own weekly prime-time talk show called “Feherty” on the Golf Channel. Feherty and Rick Kell are co-founders of the Troops First Foundation. Troops First specializes in events for wounded warriors and their families which address relationship building, mentoring, reintegration and looking to the future. The College of Mass Communications presented Feherty and the Troops First Foundation with the college’s Double T Award for Public Service. “This year’s event provided an opportunity for alumni to reconnect, remember how fortunate we were to develop skills at Tech and contribute to the scholarship endowment. Tech mass communications alums are generous with their time and financial contributions. Thank you to all who contributed toward the future of Texas Tech mass communications students,” said Charlene Stark, outstanding alumni recipient and chairperson of the 2011 “Evening with David Feherty.” About 200 mass communications alumni and friends attended the event.

Identifications listed from left: 1 Charlene Stark

4 Eddie Owens, Michelle Bleiberg and Greg Vaugun

2 Donna Cranston, Executive Director of Defenders of Freedom and Specialist Cooksey, Specialist Ellis and Specialist Lemons of the Idaho Army National Guard

5 Brian Jensen, David Feherty and Emily Jones 6 Rodney Hand

3 David Feherty and Dean Jerry C. Hudson mc | 3


Putting Others First by Chase Darnell,

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Payton Spring and Chinwe Obi, photos by Ashley Kennedy and Kent Sparkman


roviding students the opportunity to succeed is something Aleesa Ross tries her hardest to do. As a Texas Tech University alumna, Ross attempts to give back in any way she can. Although Ross left Lubbock after graduating from Texas Tech and started a family as well as a career, she eventually made her way back. She is currently the director of the College of Mass Communications Career Center and has proven to be a valuable asset, providing resources to students with an energetic, outgoing personality. Ross puts her family and the students she serves before herself. For a mother of a 5-year-old boy and twin 3-year-old daughters, balancing a family and career can be difficult, but Ross finds a way to do it every day. As the director of the Career Center, Ross interacts with students on a daily basis. Her journey began when she graduated from the college in 1998 with degrees in journalism and English. She moved to Nashville, Tenn., with her husband and taught journalism and senior English at Fairview High School. Ross said working with the students gave her joy during her three years at the school. “I really enjoyed it. I found that I worried a lot about my students. I took a lot of it home with me emotionally because I got to know them pretty well. I learned about their lives and struggles,” Ross said. “That part was hard, the emotional part of it, but I enjoyed working with high school students.” After leaving Fairview High School, Ross took a job at Vanderbilt University, where again, she spent most of her time working with students. After two and a half years at Vanderbilt, Ross returned to Texas Tech. As the director of career services in the college, she said she loves every day she gets to help students. Ross said she focuses on helping students succeed in finding an internship or job after graduation. She helps students with their resumés and gives them advice about life, internships and graduation. “I found that, for me, as long as I’m working with students, I’m going to be happy as a professional and love the job,” Ross said. “I think that’s what I was born to do.” It is also a job she does well, according to John Wirtz, assistant professor in public relations and a member of the Mass Communications Career Center advisory committee. “I think it’s important to have someone who likes what they’re doing, and she clearly does,” Wirtz said. “She does a really nice job of facilitating communication between students and businesses that have internships.”

Left: Aleesa Ross holds a portrait of her children, Campbell, Cooper and Courtney. Inset photo by Ashley Kennedy of Ashley Nicole Photography. Photo illustration by David Huval.

“She’s energetic, she’s very driven. I think those are really important qualities for students as they’re seeking that first job out of the gate once they graduate,” Cummins said. “I think in combination with that, she’s also just really friendly, and open and welcoming. I think for students that’s a really important constellation of variables.” Ross uses those variables in order to build relationships with the students, which she said is part of her objective. “My goal is to develop a relationship with the students – know about what it is they want to do, how I can help them achieve that goal, and then to keep in touch with them when they leave here,” Ross said. One of the students whom Ross has made a connection is junior electronic media and communications major Lanna Sheldon from Lubbock. Sheldon said Ross helped her get a head start by assisting her with contacting prospective employers. “She has helped me develop my networking skills in that – regardless of where we are, she knows someone and does not mind introducing one of her students to him or her,” Sheldon said. Sheldon described Ross as patient and charismatic and recommends her to friends whenever they need help with career planning or if they are looking for an internship. Ross’ reason as to why she works so hard to develop individual relationships with students is simple: she wants to see mass communications students succeed. “I want everyone to be successful when they leave here,” Ross said. “I want everyone to have had a good experience with me and find me to be helpful.” mc (Chase Darnell is a sophomore public relations major from Jolly, Texas. Payton Spring is a junior public relations major from Ballinger, Texas. Chinwe Obi is a sophomore public relations major from Dallas. Kent Sparkman is a senior electronic media and communications major from Slaton, Texas.)


A Red Raider’s

Journey to CEO by Briana Vela, Lindsey Viotto and Ioanna Makris photo by Melissa Wofford

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“He’s had an amazing career. You don’t get to be CEO of a major company without being on the ball.”— Dean Jerry C. Hudson ecoming a lawyer, or a minister, or an advertising executive were all recommendations Ron Askew received after taking a vocation alignment test at Texas Tech University. Confused by the results, he decided to take a closer look at each recommendation. Askew said he realized the similarity between the recommended professions was selling conceptual ideas about things that are not black and white. With this information in hand, Askew decided to pursue a career as an advertising executive. Looking back, he said, he made the right decision. While at Texas Tech, Askew was involved in many extracurricular activities. As a freshman, he was on the Texas Tech soccer team, and played defensive back. However, after an injury, Askew had to stop playing on the team during his sophomore year. Askew also held leadership positions such as rush chairman and pledge-class leader in his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta. He was in charge of developing new pledge classes, and he enjoyed figuring out how to attract people to his fraternity. Askew was busy with his extracurricular activities, but still made time for Bill Dean Ed.D., a life coach to Askew. Dean, associate professor in the College of Mass Communications, taught Askew the importance of hard work, and staying true to oneself. Askew said Dean was very knowledgeable about the business. He advised Askew throughout college about specific classes to take and stressed the importance of internships. Dean said he was not surprised by how successful Askew became. “He was a very good, conscientious, hard-working student,” Dean said. “I think he was very focused on what he was doing. He took things seriously and applied himself more so than every student does.” Dean said he was an adviser to the fraternity that Askew pledged, and that Askew was a very active member. Dean said he would describe Askew as a very serious student, but he was also very likeable and knew how to enjoy himself. Jerry Hudson, Ph.D., and founding dean of the College of Mass Communications, described Askew as a very cordial and understanding individual. He said his management style is probably friendly but he still holds employees accountable. Askew’s love for producing creative ideas led him to an internship with TracyLocke during his junior year at Texas Tech. Askew said he was fortunate to receive the internship offer at the agency because of the competitive atmosphere. Yet while he was interning, it never crossed his mind he would one day become CEO of the agency. Hudson said Askew’s internship was very influential to his success. “He’s had an amazing career. You don’t get to be CEO of a major company without being on the ball,” Hudson said. Askew said the College of Mass Communications gave him a strong foundation on all aspects of advertising and promotional marketing, which helped him succeed in his future endeavors. After graduating from Texas Tech in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in advertising and a minor in marketing, Askew attended Northwestern University and earned his master’s degree in the advertising management sequence. With a successful internship in his hands, along with an impressive education, Askew began to develop his career. A year after his graduation from Northwestern University he was hired at Frito-Lay, where he served in brand management, but was quickly moved up to marketing director. He continued to move

up in the company, and became the youngest person promoted to a vice president position at Frito-Lay. In 1986, Askew became a part of the TracyLocke team, where he held multiple senior leadership positions, and managed top of the line clients, such as PepsiCo, Embassy Suites, and Mrs. Baird’s Bakeries. After some time at TracyLocke, Askew founded and became CEO of the Integer Group, a marketing firm. For eight years he developed the firm and took the client base from one to 30 impressive clients, which included Coors, Coca-Cola, VISA and McDonald’s. In 2001, Coors Brewing Company latched onto him and hired him as chief marketing officer for the company. He helped the company stay profitable in a time of health concerns by focusing on low carb beers. Askew stayed with the company for four years before returning to TracyLocke as CEO. At TracyLocke, Askew focuses his time on client satisfaction, working with internal departments and developing strategic direction and new business for the agency. “Within an agency there is a unique dynamic that takes place,” Askew said. Askew said the quality of the clients can shape how an agency evolves over time. He said by attracting quality clients with your innovative ideas, you can persuade powerful people to work with you. Paula Tillman, assistant to the CEO, has worked at TracyLocke for more than five years, and said she enjoys the relaxed, yet professional environment of the agency. Tillman said Askew has a quiet and thoughtful personality, but he always has fresh ideas and brings new perspective to projects. Tillman said Askew is a devoted family man who coaches and mentors his children, as well as a man who is dedicated to the success of TracyLocke by managing the many challenges that confront the agency. The biggest challenge Askew said he faces at TracyLocke, is anticipating what clients are going to need and predicting where communication is going in the future. “The world continues to change,” Askew said. “You have to just keep reinventing yourself and attracting those clients and that expertise.” When dealing with clients, Askew said TracyLocke begins every creative process with a strategic approach by trying to solve what is going to lead to a meaningful engagement between the brand and the consumer. He said clients are good at articulating what they want, but it is his job to figure out what they will need in the future. He said they start to develop expertise for specific technologies or ideas before clients even ask for it, so when they do, the agency will be prepared. Askew said he does not look at the challenge of being stressed, but instead he observes the problem he faces, and tries to solve it. This strategy keeps him fresh. mc (Briana Vela is a junior public relations major from Lubbock. Lindsey Viotto is a junior public relations major from Stephenville, Texas. Contributed work from Ioanna Makris, editor of the Mass Communicator, who is a senior journalism major from Plano, Texas.)

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A Lesson in Humility by Holly Kitten, photo by Kent Sparkman

exas Tech University students, faculty, alumni and friends waited anxiously at the March 23 Buesseler Lectureship Series to hear advice from 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner Tod Robberson. After traveling around the world as a foreign correspondent, facing near-death experiences, and winning numerous awards for his work, Robberson was expected to talk about his rise to fame. He surprised the audience, though, and spoke not about his rise, but some of his greatest falls in the industry. “I particularly want younger people to understand that fame includes a lot of embarrassing moments,” said Robberson, who is the fourth Texas Tech alumnus to win a Pulitzer. “It’s really important that you confront those demons — you admit what you did wrong and you learn from it.” Robberson credited his ego as the main reason for all the mistakes in his career. He said he began winning awards for his work in college, and from there, he became more proud of his journalism skills and that fine bold print at the top of each story, known as the byline. “I never thought of myself as an egotistical guy, but the effect of all that attention convinced me that I was really something special,” Robberson said. “That’s one of the most dangerous things that can happen to a journalist because all of the sudden, everything you do stops being about covering a story and informing the public. It becomes all about you and feeding your ego.” mc | 8


When he was an intern in Saudi Arabia in 1980, Robberson said he was responsible for nearly ruining the newspaper chain he worked for, after he referred to the Republic of China in Taiwan as the People’s Republic of China in one of his stories. By doing so, he said the Taiwan royal family was livid and accused him of being a spy. A few years later, while in Beirut, Lebanon, Robberson said he foolishly overstepped the boundaries of a journalist by trying to exchange confidential information regarding a photo with the Lebanese Army intelligence. “I violated everything I knew about journalistic ethics,” he said, “ethics I learned right here at this university.” Robberson said after those two episodes in his journalism career, he should have learned his lesson. But, Robberson shared one more experience with the audience when he was the bureau chief in Mexico for the Washington Post and completely ignored a lead on an important drug violence story. Once again, he credited his ego for the blunder. However, in 2007, when the Dallas Morning News moved Robberson to the editorial pages from the news side, he said he decided to turn over a new leaf. “I vowed I would never again allow my ego to lead me into a false sense of security,” Robberson said. After writing news for nearly 20 years, Robberson said he was excited for the different line of work he was to do in the editorial pages. When he was moved over, the Dallas Morning News had recently launched a new project to bridge the north-south gap in Dallas. With southern Dallas having predominately poor minority people, and northern Dallas having predominately rich white people, Robberson said the problem needed to be addressed. Robberson and the other members on the editorial staff decided to take charge, because they knew action to reconstruct a healthier city would never start until the issue was brought to the public’s eye. “We devoted most of our editorials and columns to telling anecdotal stories about how this discrepancy affects real people,” Robberson said. “It didn’t have a lot of impact.” So, the editorial writers decided to gather data and statistics to prove their point. After receiving several months of detailed research from the University of Texas in Dallas, Robberson was given time to sort through the thousands of pages of data and make sense of what it all meant. Robberson said he made graphs, maps, and other graphics that would help explain the data to the readers. He even created an online component for readers to learn more about the issue. The editorial writers’ hard work debuted in a Sunday section of the paper devoted entirely to the Bridging the North-South Gap project. The section was called “The Mechanics of Change.” Even though the statistics were extremely detailed and required hours of hard work, Robberson said the numbers were not what won the Pulitzer. “This is just the supporting information that helped convince the Pulitzer committee that we knew what we were talking about,” Robberson said. Robberson said he believed the real reason they won the Pulitzer was because of where all the statistical information and in-depth reporting was found: the editorial section. “This is real journalism,” he said. “You get original reporting on the editorial pages of the Morning News and I believe that had a huge influence over the Pulitzer committee because this is something really unusual.”

“We do a great job at the university of building up students to succeed.” ­— Tod Robberson

Winning the Pulitzer has not stopped Robberson from continuing to report on the issue, which he believes to still be a huge problem to the city’s health and growth. In fact, Robberson said his best work at the Dallas Morning News was not from the year he won the Pulitzer, but the year after he won. Part of that work has been sharing with college faculty and students that the secret ingredient to being a great journalist is humility. “We do a great job at the university of building up students to succeed,” Robberson said. “What we don’t do, however, is prepare students for what happens when they do succeed. It’s a simple message, but one journalism students need to hear over and over again.” A Texas Tech journalism instructor, Robert Wernsman, who attended the lectureship, said he agreed that humility is a lesson that should be taught. “I could see the benefit of sharing some of those remarks with my Principles of Journalism students,” he said. “We often talk about the Pulitzer Prize this and the Pulitzer Prize that, but I don’t know that very often college students hear the dark side of how arrogance and ego can get in our way.” Retired Texas Tech journalism instructor Freda McVay had Robberson as a student in the ’80s, and she said she was proud of the professional he has become. “He’s just a really outstanding journalist,” McVay said. “Many of my students have ended up pretty successful. They can’t all win Pulitzers, but they can all stay in the field, which I’m always proud of.” Marijane Wernsman, the College of Mass Communications assistant dean of students and study abroad liaison, said she was glad students were in attendance to hear Robberson’s message. “It’s important for them not only to get to know the alums and mingle with the industry professionals,” she said, “but they can also learn something.” Robberson said he hoped students not only learned what it takes to win a Pulitzer, but what it takes to be a responsible journalist. “All of us commit huge blunders in our lives,” Robberson said, “and most of us are very good at covering over and hiding those huge blunders. I think that’s a mistake, especially in a profession where our job is to inform the public. I made huge mistakes, I learned from them, and I moved on and I’m a better person for it.” Considering Robberson’s combination of a Pulitzer Prize and the gift of humility, Robert Wernsman said he respects the hard work Robberson accomplished as a professional. “I think he’s got remarkable talent,” he said. “I think his Dallas Morning News work is a strong indicator of that sense-maker role of finding all the dots and then connecting them, and that’s pretty impressive. But, I guess the big thing is we’re really worthy journalists when we’re still learning 25 years later.” mc (Holly Kitten is a senior journalism major from Lubbock. Kent Sparkman is a senior electronic media and communications major from Slaton, Texas.)

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LUCK, SKILL

RAIDER

SPIRIT by Lyann Sager, photos by Kent Sparkman

“Crabtree just scored again!”

Brian Jensen, Texas Tech University graduate and voice of Red Raider football, answers his phone with these words every time he hears the ringtone only triggered when his eldest daughter, Mallory, calls him. These four words take Jensen and his daughter back to Nov. 1, 2008, when Jensen’s alma mater scored a touchdown in the last seconds of the game, leading to the defeat of the University of Texas, which his daughter, who was sitting in the stands of Jones AT&T Stadium that day, calls her alma mater. It was one of Jensen’s favorite moments in his broadcasting career, but getting to that point did not come easily. Jensen gained many years of experience and overcame obstacles in his career to earn the job of calling Texas Tech football’s playby-play. Jensen began school at Texas Tech in 1977 at age 17 with a partial scholarship on the men’s swim team. His time with the swim team was cut short when he injured his shoulders and was unable to compete. However, he stayed at Texas Tech because he loved it. Jensen became involved in other university activities during his education, which include becoming a member of the Saddle Tramps, which gave him the opportunity of walking in the shoes of Raider Red for a game. Jensen’s career in broadcasting began his sophomore year in college with a trip to the counselor’s office. He originally believed he was enrolled as a pre-law major. After taking his basic classes, Jensen visited an adviser to check on his degree plan. The counselor explained to him that pre-law is not a major, and he would have to choose a major and make a plan for his college career. As Jensen thought about what he should choose, he remembered an experience from a couple weeks prior when his second cousin came to Lubbock for a visit to the Reese Air Force Base. He was a film producer for “American Sportsman,” shooting some footage of Indy racer Johnny Rutherford flying his stunt plane.

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“It kind of freaked me out, honestly.You get this envelope, and it literally says, ‘The White House.”— Brian Jensen

“They were rigging the plane with a dash-mounted camera for the first time,” Jensen said. “So, I went out there to watch them. That’s when I decided I wanted to go into production, and that was kind of the direction I started to take in telecommunications.” Jensen began looking for experience in the field of telecommunications, and in his junior year he received an interview for a production internship with WFAA–TV, Channel 8, in Dallas. After the interview, he was told he would not receive the internship, but he was advised to move from behind-the-scenes work into the view of the camera. Later that year, he answered a phone call intended for one of his roommates. The call was from the manager at the Lubbock Inn. Her husband, Bob Howell, was the sports director for Channel 11 in Lubbock. She asked Jensen to tell his roommate, one of her hotel management employees, that Channel 11 was looking for a weekend sports person. Jensen was told to ask his roommate if he knew of any Texas Tech students that would be interested in the position. “I hung up the phone, picked the phone right back up, called out there, got an interview and went out there in my beat-up jeans and a Hawaiian shirt,” Jensen said. “I’d never been on an interview like that before in my life. I did the interview with Bob Howell. He handed me a piece of paper and some wire copy. He said, ‘Write this as if you were to go on the air with it.’ So I wrote it, handed it back to him. He looked at it and said, ‘Can you start this weekend?’” That weekend, 19-year-old Jensen was on air at Channel 11 News in Lubbock, having no prior experience in front of the camera. He held this position through his senior year at Texas Tech. After graduating in 1981, Jensen continued his career as an anchor, reporter and sports director at Beaumont’s KFDM–TV, Channel 6. He went on to spend 10 years at WFAA–TV, Channel 8, in Dallas, and spent a short time at Channel 5 in Dallas, which is now NBC-DFW. He had many experiences in his broadcasting career, but Jensen said one of the best was his experience with former President George W. Bush. When Bush was the managing partner of the Texas Rangers, Jensen had the opportunity to spend some time with him. One year when the Rangers were in spring training, Jensen and Bush played golf together. There was a group of media and Rangers’ affiliates playing that day, and Jensen happened to be riding in the same golf cart as Bush. Bush told Jensen he had a surprise, but Jensen did not know what to expect. “That evening at the game, I’m up against the fence out in the right field area watching the game, and there’s a tap on my shoulder,” Jensen said, “and I turn around and there’s George W., and he goes, ‘I’ve got somebody I want you to meet.’ I turned and it’s George Senior, and he introduces me to him. Now, that was something that was pretty dang cool.”

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LUCK, SKILL AND RAIDER SPIRIT

The golf game was not the last Jensen would hear from George W. Bush. He also interviewed Bush a year before he became governor. Jensen said he asked Bush live on air if he was planning to run for governor the next year. “It was one of the most exciting yet uncomfortable moments I’d ever had in television,” Jensen said, “because I don’t think he expected the question, and I certainly wasn’t prepared for the answer, which as I recall was something to the effect of, ‘Well right now, I’m the managing partner of the Rangers.’” Jensen was invited to the presidential inauguration when George W. Bush came into office, and he received a personal letter from the White House after a story was printed about Jensen. The Dallas Morning News had interviewed Jensen about his work in play-by-play shortly after the Texas Tech win over Texas in 2008, and it appeared in the paper the next week. “It kind of freaked me out, honestly,” Jensen said. “You get this envelope, and it literally says, ‘The White House.’ So, I open it up, and it’s a letter from the president. Basically, he was saying how neat he thought it was that after all these years I was doing the broadcast work with my university; it was that kind of a message, and one of my prized possessions.” Jensen currently works as the managing director of global corporate communications for Cushman & Wakefield, the world’s largest private commercial real estate services firm. He handles media relations, public relations, presentation preparations, media coaching and more for the brokers and professionals in the firm’s Midwest offices. His work with the company on a global level involves handling internal communications efforts for the companies almost 13,000 employees around the world. Elizabeth Trocchio-Smith, an executive vice president with Cushman & Wakefield, said she did not want to hire Jensen at first because she did not know if he knew enough about commercial real estate. But, she had an interview with him anyway and within the first 30 minutes she knew he was right for the job. “The relationship that he has from his past experiences with the media has helped us tremendously, not just locally, but he works with us on a national basis,” Smith said. “He’s just really good at connecting with people and making them feel comfortable.” Jensen also makes time to be the voice of the Red Raider football team. He does the play-by-play for the radio broadcast for Texas Tech football, and television broadcasting for Texas Tech basketball on the Texas Tech Sports Network. He said that play-by-play is his favorite position of the broadcasting careers he has had. “The best part, and the most exciting part of my career, has been the play-by play,” Jensen said. “That’s ultimately


what I wanted to do. I didn’t know how to get there. When I was in school, I did play-by-play for the Tech campus radio station with the Texas Tech Picadors. I loved it. It was fun. But, I didn’t really know how to go from there to playby-play. There really wasn’t a clear path.” Jensen’s wife, Dr. Lane Reed Jensen, a Texas Tech Medical School graduate, said he does a great job of keeping everything in balance. She said he is loyal to his corporate job as well as his family and his job at Texas Tech. Lane Jensen said Brian looks forward to the weekly football games at Texas Tech and prepares all week to be the voice of the Red Raiders. “I think he just has that sense of loyalty and compassion for the school,” Lane Jensen said. “He has a son, Bennett, who just graduated from Texas Tech. It just seems like he’s brought back to Texas Tech whether it be with work, or charities, or children, and I think that’s where his love is.” Lane Jensen said there is a sense of family at Texas Tech and her husband is drawn to the school because he is a family man. She said Brian does a good job of including the family in his career and getting them excited about it. “We’re able to watch him and listen to him, and the kids (Haley, age 6; Cooper, age 3) love to hear him on the radio,” Lane Jensen said. “They put their little hands up and say, ‘Touchdown Red Raiders.’ We have a lot of fun with it as a family.” Jensen said excitement is part of his broadcasting style. He likes to let people know he is excited. He said the Texas Tech broadcasting team is not supposed to be unbiased—they are supposed to be the homers personally invested in the Red Raiders. “I have a passion for the university, I have a passion for the sport, and I have a passion for broadcasting,” Jensen said. “So, you put those three things into one little package and that little package is the play-by-play voice of the Red Raiders. It fulfills the dream of doing play-by-play on a major sports level, and I get to do it at my alma mater. It’s great.” mc (Lyann Sager is a sophomore public relations major from Cuero, Texas. Kent Sparkman is a senior electronic media and communications major from Slaton, Texas.)

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“She’s very positive about everything, and she just has a great sense of humor. She’s a great person, and she’s great to work with.”— Dawn Moreno


Staff Award Winner Shines

by Macy Lopez and Tyler Patton, photo by Kent Sparkman

uch like the newly accepted graduate students she works with, Bridget Christopherson is taking quickly to her new role in the College of Mass Communications, winning the latest staff award. “I was really excited to work here,” Christopherson said. “The faculty and staff are all good people and it makes it such a great place to work.” As a member of the college’s support staff, Christopherson tracks graduate degree records and coordinates account paperwork for four department chairs. “My job has given me a lot more contact with our graduate students, which is great,” Christopherson said. In a new school year with new responsibilities, Christopherson says she has a greater opportunity to connect with students now that she works so closely with the graduate application process.. “I’ve been given more assignments this year,” Christopherson said, “so I’ve had an opportunity to grow a lot more in my job and really get to know our students on a much more personal level.” Christopherson won her award following a nomination and voting process conducted by faculty and staff within the college. “I honestly like all of my job,” Christopherson said. “Interacting with people is probably my favorite part.” Christopherson said having colleagues who are also friends plays an important factor in her love for her job. Dawn Moreno, Christopherson’s colleague for more than three years in the college, said Christopherson has had nothing but a great outlook toward her job. “Bridget has a fabulous attitude,” Moreno said, “and she takes everything she does in stride, no matter how stressful it is.” Moreno said after working with Christopherson for so long, they have built a strong partnership in their work environment. “We have a great time working together,” Moreno said, “and we have a great teamwork situation.” Moreno, who was the first person to win the College of Mass Communications staff award two years ago, said she felt fantastic and worth something when she won, and that Christopherson deserved to feel the same way.

“I think the reason Bridget is a great person to win this award is because she puts forth her best effort, combined along with a positive attitude,” Moreno said, “and she’s very ambitious.” Moreno said Christopherson’s positive attitude, sense of humor, and professionalism make it easy to enjoy her job. She said she looks forward to coming to work every day and being able to see Christopherson. “She’s very positive about everything, and she just has a great sense of humor,” Moreno said. “She’s a great person, and she’s great to work with.” She said Christopherson is there for her, and she tries to be there for Christopherson. “We always try and cover for each other,” Moreno said. “We take messages and notes when the other person is gone, and just try and help each other out.” Moreno said her relationship with Christopherson was nothing less than a good thing. “When you think about it, you spend 40 plus hours a week together,” Moreno said, “and it’s nice to be able to spend it with her.” Todd Chambers, Ph.D., and department chair of electronic media and communications, said Christopherson’s personable nature and experience give her insight into the process. “I have really come to know how much integrity she has as a person,” Chambers said. “I truly appreciate her values and how much she cares for others, and I’ve watched how she mentors students who are assistants in the office — I really value that.” Chambers said Christopherson’s best quality is her compassion and true interest in helping students succeed. “Bridget brings balance to the work equation a lot of times,” Chambers said. “She is the one who is the voice of reason and always has that positive attitude, so it’s easy to see why she is well deserving of the award” mc (Macy Lopez is a junior public relations major from Lubbock. Tyler Patton is a junior public relations major from Graham, Texas. Kent Sparkman is a senior electronic media and communications major from Slaton, Texas)

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by Josh Blankens

hip, photo courte

sy Joe Fairless

oe Fairless, a 2005 advertising graduate from the College of Mass Communications, has seen the power of this analogy played out in his life: If a man throws a bigger net into the water than the guy fishing next to him, and he throws it out more often, then he’ll inevitably catch more fish. Thanks to his relentless persistence and creativity, Fairless is the new management supervisor at the advertising agency, Mr. Youth, in New York City. Fairless’ story of success began his junior year at Texas Tech University when he joined the Ad Team. Fairless said he placed more emphasis on interning and the Ad Team than on his schoolwork because he felt those activities were most applicable to his future. Shannon Bichard, Ph.D., and associate professor of advertising, is the faculty adviser for Texas Tech’s Ad Team and had Fairless in her class. She said Fairless was one of those students she sees who just take classes to get by, until he became infatuated with advertising while on the Ad Team. “It was in Ad Team where he got the passion for developing advertising campaigns,” Bichard said. “I think the promotional side (of advertising) was really intriguing to him.” Fairless spent his first year on Ad Team as a creative team member on the “Visit Florida” campaign. On the creative team, Fairless helped with branding and advertising for Florida’s tourism industry. He helped ensure the new branding and advertising fit in with Florida’s requirements. With his involvement on Ad Team, Fairless began to pursue internship possibilities with TracyLocke, an integrated marketing agency in Dallas.

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“Creativity is all about coming up with strategic solutions that make sense.”—Joe Fairless Fairless applied to TracyLocke in an online application, but given the agency’s highly competitive internship program, he knew he had to do more than just apply. Fairless followed up with TracyLocke multiple times to make sure they knew his level of interest. Fairless sent e-mails, made phone calls and researched the number for the human resources department to make sure he stayed on their minds. Out of the 400 to 500 TracyLocke applicants, Fairless was one of 30 to receive an interview. From the interview, Fairless was able to land the internship. Fairless said this major accomplishment was partly due to his credentials and to his persistence and his willingness to constantly reach out. “If you don’t stay top-of-mind and you don’t show that determination and proactiveness to make sure you’re known,” Fairless said, “then others will not prioritize you into their day when the time comes to start the interview process.” As his summer internship with TracyLocke wrapped up with an opportunity to present a campaign to the Doritos brand team at their headquarters, Fairless decided he did not want to discontinue his relationship with the firm. Fairless said he proactively reached out to TracyLocke about continuing his internship despite the fact he’d be returning to Lubbock for school. Fairless said TracyLocke had never had a remote intern before, but since Fairless showed initiative, the firm decided to let him continue his internship. Fairless performed competitive tracking analysis for Yum! brands and participated in weekly conference calls. During Fairless’ senior year he desired to step up his role on the Ad Team by seeking its account executive position. The account executive is the leader of all of the Ad Team’s efforts. The account executive must be versed in all facets of the Ad Team to lead effectively. Fairless had gained experience with all the departments in an ad agency while at TracyLocke and felt he was prepared to lead the Texas Tech Ad Team. Bichard said Fairless came into her office and lobbied for the account executive position. She said she was so impressed with his level of passion, she made him the Ad Team account executive. “He was one of the best, if not the best, account executive I have ever had in the nine years I have been involved with the Ad Team,” Bichard said. “The kind of guy that is just great to work with.” Once again, persistence and initiative had paid off for Fairless. As the account executive, the Texas Tech Ad Team had one of their most successful years in competition. They finished in the top five in the nation’s most competitive district. When Fairless graduated he decided he wanted to make a splash in advertising. He loved his time with TracyLocke, but was intrigued by the highly competitive advertising scene in New York City. “The perception is that the best of the best in advertising are in New York,” Fairless said. “I wanted to go to New York and compete with the best of the best.” Once Fairless realized he wanted to live and work in New York City, he needed to figure out how to get a job there. Fairless said he sent an e-mail to every ad agency based out of New York City. Simultaneously, Fairless began to network with Texas Tech alumnus Mark de Tranaltes, who helped Fairless schedule an interview with an advertising agency in New York City. With his flight to New York booked, Fairless e-mailed more than 100 advertising agencies letting them know he would be in town. He wanted to be specific with the agencies and give them very specific interview requests.

Two agencies responded. One was TBWA/Chiat Day, where he was able to schedule an informational interview. However, when he showed up for his interview, he learned they were no longer able to see him. Fairless told them he came all the way from Texas for the interview. Upon learning this, the director of human resources decided to sit down with him. Fairless said the interview went well and he made sure to keep in constant contact with the firm. In late April, Fairless decided to differentiate himself by sending TBWA/Chiat Day a unique surprise. “I created a word document that looked like an invitation to graduation ceremonies,” Fairless said, “but I customized the copy on it to make it an invitation to my next interview with TBWA/Chiat Day.” They loved the fresh idea. Fairless ended up receiving another interview and eventually the position. “Creativity is all about coming up with strategic solutions that make sense,” Fairless said. “You need to break away from the pack in a way that makes sense.” For example, Fairless said he would never mail a shoe to a human resources person saying he wants to get ‘a foot in the door.’ It is not relevant to who he is. “It is about coming up with ways that make you or your brand stand out in a way that only you can stand out,” Fairless said. He created a Joe Fairless brand pyramid, a Joe Fairless logo, objectives, tactics, and even a fun “52 facts and one lie about Joe Fairless” to wrap up his presentation. “I packaged it all in a branded tote bag and literally walked it to the door step of Mr. Youth,” Fairless said. Fairless impressed the company with his creative branding approach, and he was offered a position. “We take brands like MSN and Bing and we help them engage consumers,” Fairless said. “You have to know what you are doing and what you are talking about.” Fairless said people helped him when he was just starting out, and he loves any opportunity he can get to help pay it forward because he knows those he helps will do the same for others someday. “I think it is incredibly important to remember where you came from and how it is you got to where you are,” Fairless said. Fairless soon became a member on the College of Mass Communications National Advisory Board, which is composed of successful alumni and exists to recognize and promote the mass communications educations offered at Texas Tech. Through his involvement with the board, Fairless is able to give undergraduates advice, help them network, and share his story. “If I am doing that, it means a lot, but if I am not, then it (the National Advisory Board) is just something else attached to my name,” Fairless said, “and I don’t want that.” “If you approach people and circumstances in the right way, then you can accomplish whatever you set out to be,” he said. mc (Josh Blankenship is a junior public relations major from Coppell, Texas.)

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by Kacy Steele and Alyssa Williams, photos by Kent Sparkman


lthough resumés and cover letters are good ways to showcase your accomplishments and skills, sometimes the best way is through face-to-face interaction. That is exactly what broadcast journalism major Jonathan “Jon” Arnold did to land his dream job. His father, Mark Arnold, said he believes his son has been blessed with a great combination of abilities, personality and passion for his career. Growing up, Arnold knew he wanted to be a broadcast journalist. As a young boy, he went to bed at night listening to Denny Matthews announce the play-by-play of the Kansas City Royals baseball games. “To me, it’s just the best job out there. You go to sporting events and tell people what’s going on,” Arnold said. “I’ve always been really intrigued by that, and I’ve been chasing that for a while now.” Arnold has been able to pursue his dream of being a play-byplay announcer through various internships. Arnold had three internships during his journalism studies at Texas Tech. He worked in the Dallas area as a sports intern for two different television stations. Mark Arnold said when it was time for his son to find an internship; he made connections with the right people and made sure to keep in contact with them. He said his son is laid back yet motivated to take on many tasks in order to reach his goals. While interning at WFAA-TV, Channel 8, in Dallas, Arnold was assigned to report a soccer match between a London team and a team from Mexico. It was there he made lasting connections that landed him a prized internship in London. At a practice before the soccer match, Arnold met three British journalists who were covering the match. He introduced himself and chatted with the men, but was later separated during the hustle and bustle of the event. While leaving the stadium, Arnold ran into the same British reporters as they were trying to flag down a taxi. Being from the Dallas area, Arnold knew this would take a long time, so he offered to give the men a ride. During the 40-minute ride, Arnold was able to network with them and leveraged that into an internship in London for the following fall. Arnold interned at The Guardian newspaper in London where he was given the opportunity to cover an English Premier League soccer match. “Covering an English Premier League soccer game was definitely the coolest thing I’ve gotten to do,” Arnold said. He said he enjoyed being in London and being immersed in the culture of the city. For someone who dreams of covering soccer for a living, it’s a great experience to be in a place where soccer is everything, Arnold said. Although it seems Arnold has been steadily busy throughout his college career, he admits that during his freshman year of college he wasn’t as active. “I sat in my room, played video games and ate too much,” Arnold said. “I look back at that – and I’ve made up for lost time— but I was really wasting a lot of time.”

“Covering an English Premier League soccer game was definitely the coolest thing I’ve gotten to do.”—Jon Arnold After realizing he was wasting his time, Arnold took the initiative to get involved. Eric Brannigan, Arnold’s roommate, said Arnold is the kind of guy who doesn’t take time off for himself. “He is definitely one of the busiest people I know because he is always doing so many different things,” Brannigan said. Arnold said the best way to jumpstart your career is to get involved. Arnold worked several years for the Daily Toreador, and became managing editor his senior year. “You just have to do stuff,” Arnold said. Josh Grimm, Ph.D., and assistant professor of journalism at the College of Mass Communications, said he agrees with Arnold’s advice and thinks Arnold is a prime example of how you can benefit from getting involved. “Journalism students need experience, plain and simple,” Grimm said. Once you get an internship, it’s important to take advantage of the opportunity and gain as much knowledge as you can, Grimm said. Arnold said he understands the first job he gets leads to the next job, and to be successful takes a lot of time and effort. “If I hadn’t worked at the Daily Toreador, I would have never worked at Channel 8; if I had never been at Channel 8, I never would have gotten the internship in London,” Arnold said. mc (Alyssa Williams is a senior public relations major from Brady, Texas. Kacy Steele is a junior public relations major from Arlington, Texas. Kent Sparkman is a senior electronic media and communications major from Slaton, Texas.)

Jon Arnold in the Daily Toreador offices.


by Katelyn Stanglin and Trace Thomas, photo by Kent Sparkman

ith the whole state on edge about the estimated $14.8 billion to $26.8 billion shortfall for the fiscal 2012-2013 biennium, Texas Tech University turns to Kyle Clark, chief finance officer and vice president for administration and finance, for answers. Clark is responsible for the oversight of the university’s fiscal operations, including budgeting, student business services, procurement services, financial accounting and reporting, and operations and information systems management. Clark was appointed CFO in 2010; previously, he served as assistant to the Texas Tech University System CFO and Vice Chancellor, Jim Brunjes. In November, the state asked Texas Tech to return 2.5 percent of its budget, adding to the already 5 percent reduction asked for in March 2010. Thus far, Texas Tech has returned about $16 million to the state. “They (Texas legislators) have a hard job ahead of them,” said Texas Tech President Guy Bailey in a press conference. “If you envy legislators, don’t this year.” The appropriations bill is one of the last bills the State Legislature reviews. Clark said if they do not come to a decision by May, they would have to call a special session over the summer. At the very latest, the decision has to be made by Sept. 1, 2011. “We have been very proactive in preparing for the reductions,” Clark said “We have concentrated so hard on student growth, increasing our research, and becoming more efficient with space because they all feed into how the state allocates dollars to us.” Clark said the only part of Texas Tech’s budget that will be affected is the education and funds, which is about $201 million. Education and funds occupies 32 percent of Tech’s overall budget, and Clark said that the other 68 percent is stable. Bailey said Texas Tech has already done many things to help cushion the blow. The enrollment for fall 2010 increased to 3,200 new students on campus. Texas Tech’s graduate enrollment jumped to more than 6,000 students for the first time ever. Bailey said the progress Texas Tech has made is due to faculty and staff efforts in the last two years. “The work they’ve done has helped cushion (the impact of budget cuts),” said President Bailey. “This isn’t great, this isn’t good, but it could be worse.” Bailey established two committees to help decide what programs these budget cuts would affect. The first committee is the budgetworking group, which is composed of 40 individuals from all over campus. Each dean, vice president, and various department chairpersons serve on the committee. The committee reviews efficiencies and recommends where Texas Tech could make budget reductions. The second committee is the critical hiring needs committee. This committee reviews open job positions, and determines if they are critical to the mission of Texas Tech. There are three people on the critical hiring needs committee: Texas Tech Provost Bob Smith, the President’s Chief of Staff, Grace Hernandez, and Texas Tech Chief Financial Officer Kyle Clark. “We are asking our faculty and staff to do more because we do not have as many dollars to allocate to fill positions,” Clark said. “Anytime we are talking about a budget reduction, job loss is always a reality,” Clark said, “but we hope that will be a minimum.” mc | 20


Clark said every position Texas Tech has on campus is critical to the mission of the campus, but given the current economic conditions, there are certain positions the committees have to scrutinize more than others. Bailey said anytime there are significant budget cuts, a tuition raise is possible, but he reiterated that it is in Texas Tech’s best interest to keep tuition as low as possible. Clark said Texas Tech is very mindful of the cost of education, but the university is one of the premiere institutions in the nation that delivers a high value and high quality education for the lowest possible price. The Wall Street Journal ranked Texas Tech 18 in the top 25 universities in the country in producing quality graduates. “We are an extreme value when you compare us to our competitors,” Clark said. Texas Tech has the sixth highest tuition cost in the state compared to its competitors, and within the Big 12 conference, Texas Tech’s tuition is second to last in cost. Reaching tier-one status is still one of Texas Tech’s main goals. Clark said he believes with less revenue available, reaching this level will be more challenging, but still obtainable. “Tier one is a very important goal and one of our top priorities,” Clark said. “We think it will not be significantly hurt.” Texas Tech is using this budget cut as a challenge. With less money, the university is exploring different and creative options to provide a variety of resources and other services to students. “It is a reduction and no one likes a reduction,” Clark said, “but we feel like we have done what we could.” When it comes to budget cuts, Dean of the College of Mass Communications Jerry Hudson is optimistic about the future of higher education. “I have to give some credit to the president and the provost, because over a year ago we started working on this instead of waiting until the last minute,” Hudson said. “It was called the budget working committee, and it was used to figure out if we could reduce the cost of education and still not affect the quality of education that we have.” Hudson served on the budget working committee where they brainstormed ways to save funds university wide. He said every college will have to make cuts, and each is doing a self-evaluation to see what can be done more efficiently. “It’s not going to be fun, nor easy, but it’s the right thing to do,” Hudson said. Last year when the state cut budgets, the college was able to give back its fair share. Hudson said one staff member passed away and two others resigned. None of the open positions were filled, and when the salaries were added together, they exceeded the necessary budget cuts for the college. In order for students not to be impacted by these positions going unfilled, Hudson said other current employees took on more responsibility and a few student workers were hired. For the upcoming budget cuts, he is unsure of what changes the college will make next. In addition to the budget working committee, the college has formed a committee of its own to review potential cuts. The committee is comprised of the dean, associate deans, chairs of all departments, various faculty, and key staff members. Hudson said together they are making suggestions and giving feedback on where cuts could be made before they are implemented.

“I think when you cut budgets, you try not to cut faculty, because the growth initiative that we have to reach 40,000 students by 2020 can’t be reached if we have to cut faculty,” Hudson said. In Hudson’s personal opinion, if the college were to cut faculty and increase classroom sizes, the quality of education students receive will be diminished. The College of Mass Communications currently has an enrollment of 1,600 students, which has been consistent over the past few years. Hudson said the graduate program, on the other hand, has really taken off. In the fall, the college will have 70 to 80 graduate students, which is quite an increase from the 25 to 35 graduate students enrolled five years ago. “I think we’ve done a better job in the last two years of recruiting quality students and retaining students,” Hudson said. “I’m pretty optimistic now that we’re going to reach (40,000 students) by 2020.” With budget cuts approaching, Hudson said he anticipates students will face increased tuition, but he hopes they understand where the problem lies and it is not something Texas Tech can cure. “It’s just something that has happened and it’s world wide. It’s not just here at Texas Tech,” Hudson said. “We understand things will not be the same, and we will have to do with less.” In order to prepare for a potential tuition increase, Hudson said the college would continue to seek scholarships for students, especially through endowments. “It’s critical we take every opportunity we can and not spend money that comes in, but put it in an endowment,” Hudson said.

He also said this is not the only economic hardship the university has faced, and it will also be faced again in the future. He is optimistic that as a whole, the university will be able to pull through this budget cut, and be better because of it. “We have an opportunity to be a little more efficient than maybe we’ve been, and do a good job for the citizens of Texas who are paying taxes, and for students who are paying the bill,” Hudson said. mc (Katelyn Stanglin is a senior public relations major from Red Oak, Texas. Trace Thomas is a junior public relations major from Levelland, Texas. Kent Sparkman is a senior electronic media and communications major from Slaton, Texas.)

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A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT by Nicholas Stockland, photo by Kent Sparkman

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ohn Kirby knows that teamwork is a necessity – in life, work and sports. He has a passion for teamwork. Growing up on the East Coast in Boston, Kirby learned the benefits of working together by watching his beloved Boston Celtics achieve numerous victories as a team. Now, Kirby is bringing his enthusiasm for teamwork to his new position as the general manager of KTXT-TV in Lubbock. The local PBS affiliate hired Kirby in October after a nine-month search to replace former manager Pat Cates. In the short time Kirby has been general manager, he has made significant changes to the station. In fact, he’s changing the entire environment at KTXT-TV. “I really like to foster a sense of teamwork here,” Kirby said. “I think that’s just about the most important thing I do on a daily basis, is get people to work together, get them to like what they do and give them a sense of ‘Let’s get the job done and enjoy doing it.’” Kirby said the turning point in his career came when he accepted a job as a political reporter in San Antonio. He said moving from the hustle and bustle of Boston to the smalltown country lifestyle of Texas was a bit of a culture shock. “There may not be two areas of the country more different than Boston, Massachusetts, and San Antonio, Texas,” he said. “At first I hated it, but my mother – who was wise beyond her years – would say, ‘Stay one more week, just one more week.’ And she made me stay.” Kirby said his time in San Antonio defined his career and got him his position at KTXT-TV. “One of my close friends from San Antonio, Dave Walker, who now lives in Lubbock, got me into this gig,” he said. “He insisted I apply for this job and he helped me get it. Had I left (San Antonio) in that first three or four months, none of this would have happened.” Walker owns Lubbock’s country radio station 105.3, The Red Dirt Rebel. He said Kirby’s work experience makes him uniquely well rounded. “He’s been on both sides – the reporter’s side as an anchor, and the commercial side as well – so he brings a very unique skill set to the job,” Walker said. Kirby has worked with numerous broadcasting business entities where cooperation is essential, and he saw the benefits of cooperation and teamwork from an early age. Kirby said he grew up just a few blocks from the New England Patriots stadium, where many times he cheered his favorite football team to victory. “We used to go all the time as kids,” he said. “I love team sports, and I refer to this business as a team sport.” In sports as well as work, winning requires teamwork. Kirby said the workplace environment, upon his arrival at KTXT-TV, was in dire need of correction. “I came here because this place, to be honest, was a train wreck,” he said. “The financial situation was badly serviced. The workplace culture was so terrible that it’s hard to understand. I’ve never worked at a place that was this negative.” KTXT-TV development officer Kelly Pitts said with some changes in staff and some changes in attitude, KTXT-TV is getting back on solid ground. She said she likes the direction in which Kirby is leading. “He likes change and so do I,” Pitts said. “He came in at a great time, and he’s going to move us forward. I think he’s got a vision for this station. He really cares about getting local productions on the air. That’s what we need, local involvement.”

“I really like to foster a sense of teamwork here. I think that’s just about the most important thing I do on a daily basis.” — John Kirby

In addition, Kirby has made community outreach a priority at KTXT-TV. “The big goal we have is to make this television station relevant to Texas Tech and the Lubbock community and the surrounding area, and to have local programming that will reflect this great university and this great city,” he said. Pitts said the enhanced community involvement has helped improve KTXT-TV’s image. “Building relationships on campus with the chancellor and the president’s office, that’s made quite a bit of difference,” she said. “He’s going to be active and visible in the community. I think that’s important.” According to PBS.org, PBS’s mission is to create content that educates, informs and inspires. For Lubbock’s PBS affiliate, Kirby offered some insight regarding what’s new in KTXT-TV’s educational programming. “We’re going to be doing what I call long-form, short-form programming,” he said. “Three-to-five minute pieces on interesting people, issues and events at Texas Tech and in the Lubbock community that you won’t be able to see anywhere else. We have the time to tell the stories, and I think it’s very important to do that.” Sheryl Headlee has worked at the station for just more than 26 years. She has seen the changes and said the difference is certainly noticeable. “We had an open house in December, when he had only been here about six weeks, and people who came who had been here a while were amazed,” Headlee said. “They said it was already a totally different atmosphere, for the better. Kirby said he has no plans to leave the station anytime soon. “If I move on, you may have to drive me to divorce court, because my wife will not let me leave this job,” he said jokingly. “Yeah, we’re here to stay.” mc (Nicholas Stockland is a junior public relations major from Harker Heights, Texas. Kent Sparkman is a senior electronic media and communications major from Slaton, Texas.)

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Above and Beyond in the

Going

Classroom by Paige Baker and Berkley Iden, photos by Kent Sparkman

“He is very energetic and has a zest for life unlike any other.” —Prisca Ngondo

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etween teaching, completing research, and balancing his children’s activities, Sam Bradley barely has time to breathe. Being promoted to the chairperson of the Department of Advertising in the College of Mass Communications at Texas Tech University only increased his load. “I really am a workaholic,” Bradley said with a chuckle. “My biggest problem with my job is that I’m mad that I don’t have more hours in the day to get stuff done.” Bradley’s love for advertising began at a young age. He grew up working at his parent’s advertising agency in Kansas City, Kan. However, Bradley’s journey to Lubbock started when he enrolled at New Mexico State University, pursuing an undergraduate degree in journalism and editing the student newspaper for two years. Upon graduation, Bradley headed to California to complete a Dow Jones Newspaper Fund internship at The Modesto Bee in Modesto, Calif., but he quickly returned to New Mexico for a reporting job at the Las Cruces Sun-News. This was a crucial move because he and his wife, Emily Bradley, were expecting their first child. Soon after, Bradley joined the copy desk at the Albuquerque (N.M.) Journal, but ultimately decided he wanted to further his education in mass communications. “I had always wanted to go to grad school, so we figured this was the best time,” Bradley said. “My best offer was Kansas State, and since Emily and I are both from Kansas City, it was close to home. So we headed to Kansas State and it was a great two years.” Directly after receiving his master’s degree from Kansas State, Bradley started his quest for a doctorate at Cornell University, but he said he did not receive enough support for his research, so he transferred to Indiana University where he earned a joint doctorate in mass communications and cognitive science. “We had our second daughter while we were in Manhattan, Kan., and third daughter in Indiana,” Bradley said. “So at the time I had three degrees and a daughter from each town.” After Bradley spent a year teaching at Ohio State University, he took a position at Texas Tech to be closer to his parents who now reside in Las Cruces, N.M. “I really liked the people, and I liked the place,” Bradley said. “We’ve been here coming up on five years.” Prisca Ngondo, former student and graduate instructor in the college, said Bradley’s personality is larger than life. “He is very energetic and has a zest for life unlike any other,” Ngondo said. Students of Bradley often describe him as an animated and interesting professor. In a college with many excellent instructors, student evaluations place Bradley in the top 10 percent. Kristen Kelly, a junior advertising major from Lubbock, said Bradley is a hands-on type of teacher. “He likes to make sure that you completely understand what he wants you to learn,” Kelly said. “I appreciate that not only does he grade our projects, but he types out a detailed critique for each individual student.” Although he has been teaching for more than 10 years, Bradley said he is constantly improving the class instruction. Due to Bradley’s involvement with studies involving the brain, he is able to apply his research to the classroom. “The fact that I study attention and memory obviously helps because I know how the system works,” Bradley said. “I mean, if

From left: Isabel, Riley, Sam, Piper, and Chloe Bradley in the courtyard at the Merket Alumni Center.

I’m bored, then out of 170 people there are going to be a lot of other bored people. So I try to never be bored with my own lectures.” Chaille Steed, who served as Bradley’s teaching assistant, said she would not believe someone who said they did not enjoy their class with Bradley. “Dr. Bradley has fine-tuned his ‘active-teaching’ method based on his knowledge and research on attention,” Steed said. “Mixed with his likeability, his active-teaching method leaves you looking forward to the next class.” Augusta Neal, an advertising major from Carlsbad, N.M., said Bradley does not simply teach lessons from a slide show. She said Bradley incorporates personal experiences and examples into his lessons. “He makes us complete assignments multiple times to try to get the best out of his students,” Neal said. “He wants his students to succeed, so he pushes us do to our best during class.” Ngondo said she admires the personal interest Bradley takes in each and every one of his students. As long as students are putting in the effort to succeed, Bradley puts in the effort to help the students. Bradley said he enjoys teaching because he is able to see the light bulb come on when students finally take what they have learned and apply it to their projects. “I really like working with the students and watching them grow and get better. I wouldn’t give that up for anything,” Bradley said. mc (Berkley Iden is a sophomore agricultural communications major from Big Spring, Texas. Paige Baker is a senior agricultural communications major from Seymour, Texas. Kent Sparkman is a senior electronic media and communications major from Slaton, Texas.)


Don’t Let Life Pass You By by Lauren Blalock and Channing Martin, photo by Kent Sparkman

“People embrace you here, so it makes you want to do everything you can to make it succeed.” — Grace Hernandez mc | 26


race Hernandez, chief of staff in the Office of the President at Texas Tech University, lives by the motto that life is too short not to seize every opportunity in reach. Hernandez, a first-generation college student, graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a bachelor’s degree in English and received a master’s in human resources development from Webster University. She was motivated in school because of the importance her parents put on education when she was a child. “My dad only went to the third grade and was self-taught,” Hernandez said. “He always hoped for a higher education for us.” Like her father, Hernandez has a strong desire for education and personal growth. Hernandez has worked at three different universities during her career: UT-San Antonio, University of Missouri-Kansas City, and Texas Tech University. Raised in San Antonio, Hernandez was encouraged to keep close to home, but she decided to spread her wings and moved to Kansas City. She retained a position with the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and worked for Guy Bailey, who was the chancellor of the university at the time. In 2008, Bailey moved to Lubbock to assume the position of president of Texas Tech. He soon offered Hernandez a position as his chief of staff. Hernandez moved to Lubbock and began her position at Texas Tech. She enjoys working in higher education because she likes seeing students succeed. “You go home feeling fulfilled because the product is someone graduating,” Hernandez said. One of her goals for Texas Tech is to provide students and faculty with the opportunity for leadership education. She feels it is important for people to learn more about leadership styles and how to interact with others. “When we couple up our strengths with people we surround ourselves with,” Hernandez said, “we become even stronger.” Hernandez serves as a liaison between Bailey and the vice presidents of Texas Tech. One of the tasks she was assigned was to find the best fit for the soonto-be empty business building. The College of Mass Communications was chosen because it was quickly

growing, and the move would open up needed research space for the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering. She confesses to being a workaholic, and she used that dedication to convince Jerry Hudson, Ph.D., and founding dean of the College of Mass Communications, the move was in the best interest of the college. It took Hernandez three to four months of frequent conversations with Hudson to prove relocating was the best decision for the students and faculty. “It is just going to give a whole new look to it,” Hernandez said, “and hopefully garner interest among more students.” Hernandez said it gives her happiness to achieve something that helps others. The college has outgrown its current building, and this move will allow the college to grow in enrollment and will put an emphasis on mass communications because of the central location and prominence of the building. Justin Clark, director of Human Resources at Texas Tech, worked with Hernandez on the project, and he said her determination to help others was evident. Clark is not the only one who recognizes Hernandez’s selflessness. Brandon Reeves, student assistant in the Office of the President, works with Hernandez on a daily basis. When asked about her, he was quick to name positive characteristics. “Grace is one of the hardest working and most selfless people I know,” Reeves said. “I believe she does a great job for the university, and I know that she has a positive influence on all other employees she works with.” Hernandez is one of the last to leave the office each day and puts much of her time into improving Texas Tech. She said it is one of the friendliest places she has ever worked and is like one big family. She is happy she took this opportunity to work at Texas Tech. “People embrace you here,” Hernandez said. “So it makes you want to do everything you can to make it succeed.” mc (Channing Martin is a junior public relations major from Amarillo, Texas. Lauren Blalock is a junior public relations major from Seabrook, Texas. Kent Sparkman is a senior electronic media and communications major from Slaton, Texas.)

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Business and the Media by Brittany Nunn, photo by Kent Sparkman

erhaps there are only a few of us who will ever have the opportunity to be a true pioneer, to be there at the moment in which there is an extraordinary opportunity to change something, to be a part of a transformation.” The room was quiet as Stephen E. Fritz, Ph.D., dean of the Honors College at Texas Tech, introduced Myron Kandel at the William S. Morris III Distinguished Lecturer Series on April 5, 2011. Kandel, who got in on the ground floor of CNN, was a pioneer of broadcast journalism and financial news and was one of the nation’s bestknown financial journalists. The International Cultural Center was full of Texas Tech employees, students and Lubbock media personnel waiting to hear Kandel lecture on the relationship between businesses and the media. When he finally approached the podium, the audience paused, listening intently. “The title of my talk tonight is ‘Business and the Media: Friend or Foe?’” he said, “Now to deal with the question right off with an inequitable answer, and that is: both.”

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“But then we, along with others, proved that talking heads are OK, as long as they say something of value as they’re talking.”— Myron Kandel Kandel’s background with business news Kandel began the lecture with his background, stating that the earlier years of his career were spent reporting for newspapers. During that time, he would occasionally speak to groups of veteran reporters and publishers, and one of the topics he often harped on was the importance of business news. He explained that 30 years ago, people were getting most of their news from television; however, business news was only occasionally covered by broadcast networks and was virtually ignored by local television stations. “We were in danger of growing a nation of economic illiterates,” Kandel said. “That area of news, I said, was a great opportunity for newspapers to beat television at its own game. Little did I imagine that a few years later I would be in the TV business myself.” Starting in the 1980s, Kandel stopped making that point. “Not only because I had joined TV myself, as one of those founders who had helped start CNN and pioneered the coverage of business news on network television,” he said, “but also because other TV programs and cable networks covering business, financial and economic news began to sprout up.” Kandel started reporting financial news with a network business news program called “Money Mind,” but his friends didn’t believe the program would last. There was no drama, they pointed out; there were no cops, no fires, no riots – nothing but talking heads. “But then we, along with others, proved that talking heads are OK,” he said, “as long as they say something of value as they’re talking.” When Kandel first started “Money Mind,” he said he was surprised when businesses did not welcome him with open arms. After the initial confusion, he figured out businesses had become gun-shy about the media. “Because the only time TV focused on business back then, was when covering some negative story,” he explained. “So the knee-jerk reaction in the business world was that TV meant bad news.” It took some time, but eventually he and others were able to prove they were interested in covering business news completely and fairly, in good times as well as in bad. In fact, after a while, businesses wanted to be on television.

Local news should do better Unfortunately, Kandel claimed, newspapers that once had entire sections devoted to business news, have recently started to cut back, but he has high hopes that CNN will get back on track with more business news. Due to the recent shift in news from print to the web, Kandel believes the wasteland for financial and economic news no longer exists. Anyone interested in business, financial or economic news can hop online and check a number of reliable sites that offer this kind of coverage. “However, there’s still one big gap in television news that still really bugs me,” he said. “That’s local TV news.” He said broadcast stations do not adequately cover local businesses within their communities, nor do they translate national economic news into local terms.

He illustrated this point with a hypothetical situation: imagine our civilization was destroyed, and 200 years later explorers from another planet land here and find the library of a local news program. What do they find in this news? They find a lot of crime, a good deal of sports, and an amazing concentration on the weather; however, there was absolutely no indication of what people on Earth did for a living. “Local news ignores business and finance, and it should do better,” Kandel insisted. “The more Americans know about business, the better Americans we will be.”

Business news today According to Kandel, the web has created a generation of “fast news junkies.” “We may be able to access instant gratification and instant facts,” he said, “but does that mean instant knowledge?” He said young people today are less likely to read than ever before, and they are also in serious danger of not being able to distinguish the value of the information they have access to. He said the push for entertainment in the media has unfortunately caused the media to dumb down the news for its readers. However, on the bright side, Kandel said business reporters today are better educated and better prepared than they ever have been in the past, which he explained is important because people depend on the media for intelligent interpretation of the news.

So, friend or foe?

“Some people still think the press is biased against the business,” Kandel said, “but except for very isolated examples, I haven’t seen much evidence of that. Toughness and skepticism are good qualities for a newsperson.” Yes, he admitted, the media does often print or broadcast information that businesses would prefer not be made public. “But if it’s accurate, we’re usually doing our job,” he said. “And let’s face it, like politicians and sports figures, some business people can be – let me put it lightly – truth challenged, and it’s the job of the journalist to point that out when they come across it.” Business and the media share more goals than differences, he said—both want accuracy, honesty and credibility, which is why cooperation between the two is so important. “I think the public interest requires that businesses and the media coexist presumptively,” Kandel said. “Enlightened businesspeople realize that an ongoing relationship is beneficial for both sides.” mc (Brittany Nunn is the managing editor of the Mass Communicator and a senior journalism major from Dallas. Kent Sparkman is a senior electronic media and communications major from Slaton, Texas.)

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by Barri Baldwin and Natalie Horn

photo by Kent Sparkman

or College of Mass Communications Ph.D. candidates Curtis Matthews and Wes Wise, graduation does not mean going their separate ways. Instead it means moving to Kansas where they will both begin working at Kansas State University. Matthews and Wise attended the annual convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication in August 2010 where they had interviews with more than 20 universities. After going to the conference, Matthews and Wise agreed that Kansas State was one of their top three choices. “Kansas State had a good combination for what I was looking for in a place that wanted teaching and research,” Matthews said. “They had an interesting program. I liked the fact that they were combining a lot of their advertising and PR classes.” Matthews said the representatives from Kansas State were great, and he felt the most comfortable around them. “I think I got to know them the best,” Matthews said, “and it made the decision pretty easy from some of my other options.” Wise said the faculty at Kansas State seemed the most familial, which he said made interaction much easier. “Keeping with that family atmosphere, we happen to know two people who were very involved at Kansas State,” Wise said. “Dr. Bradley got his master’s degree there and the director of the graduate department, Bob Meeds, who just left Texas Tech, was the there for several years.”

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Sam Bradley, chairperson of the Advertising Department, advised Matthews and Wise during their time in the Ph.D. program. “It’s especially cool to me to have both of them going to my alma mater,” Bradley said. Bradley said it was not necessary for him to put in a good word for Matthews and Wise at Kansas State because their records and performances during the job interview spoke for themselves. “There were far more conversations after they interviewed from the people at Kansas State saying ‘Hey, talk these guys into taking this job,’ than the other way around,” Bradley said. Matthews and Wise said the Texas Tech faculty was supportive during the job search and made it a group effort. “Not only did the faculty give us good advice about research and how to handle a problem, but they went out of their way to make sure we were known out there,” Wise said. Barbie Chambers, a fellow Ph.D. candidate who has worked closely with Matthews and Wise, said she was thrilled to hear they were both hired by Kansas State. “The fact that they both decided on Kansas State shows me that Kansas State clearly saw something special in both of them,” Chambers said, “but they also saw something special in Kansas State, because they had other choices.” Both Matthews and Wise were interviewing for other jobs when they received the calls from Kansas State offering them their positions. They said fate played a part in the decision making process. “I was digging through the garage a couple of weeks ago when I found an acceptance letter from Kansas State when I applied to get my master’s,” Matthews said. “I just kept thinking that it was inevitable that I was going to end up there somehow, so why not just go now?” Wise said he knew he belonged at Kansas State when he spotted former Texas Tech basketball coach Bob Knight at a hotel in Manhattan, Kansas. Matthews and Wise said they are excited about living in Manhattan, also known as “The Little Apple.” The town consists of 60,000 people, and the university has an enrollment of about 22,000. The community of Manhattan was an important consideration for Matthews and Wise because they were looking for a safe and comfortable place to raise their families. Starting in the fall, Matthews will be teaching public relations campaigns and integrated marketing communications classes, and Wise will be teaching advertising campaigns and media planning. Matthews and Wise enrolled in the Ph.D. program together three years ago and look forward to working together at Kansas State. “I have a funny feeling we’ll be spending a lot of time together just because questions that I have and

“For them to take two of our graduates straight out of our program, should be something we can hang a hat on.” — Coy Callison things that I’m thinking about tend to be relatively close to things he’s thinking about,” Matthews said. Wise said it is a rare instance that a university takes two candidates from the same program. Wise said having worked with Matthews in the past will be beneficial to their success at Kansas State. “We can help each other with research and that dramatically increases our opportunity to get enough publications out the door to get tenure,” Wise said. Coy Callison, the associate dean for graduate studies for the College of Mass Communications, said Kansas State has a respected graduate program. “For them to take two of our graduates straight out of our program, should be something we can hang a hat on and say ‘Look, we’re doing something right here,’” Callison said. The college’s mass communications Ph.D. program began in 2005, and Callison said Matthews and Wise were among the first students to develop a research culture. “I think Wes and Curtis should get some credit for being a part of the group that really got that started here,” Callison said. “We’re a better program for them having been here.” Matthews and Wise said the Texas Tech mass communications program did them well. “Our name is out there well enough that we were seen and viewed on the same parallel as other really established programs, which is pretty neat,” Matthews said. Bradley said Kansas State is the best university that the college’s Ph.D. program has placed for one of its graduates. “We continually move up that ladder of where our graduates are getting jobs as our program earns a reputation,” Bradley said. “We’ve always put our graduates in good places, and to send two of them there is really exciting.” Bradley said losing both Matthews and Wise in one year will be sad because they will be difficult to replace. “They are really two of my favorite people, and they’ve made being at Tech really fun,” Bradley said. Chambers said she is going to miss Matthews and Wise, both as friends and colleagues. “I guess we will always have Facebook,” Chambers said laughing, “but it is going to be different not being able to see them and share that face-to-face communication and camaraderie.” Wise and Matthews look forward to watching Texas Tech play Kansas State in football, because they will still be at a Big 12 university. “I’ll have my Tech T-shirt on underneath my Kansas State one,” Wise said. mc (Barri Baldwin is a junior public relations major from Amarillo, Texas. Natalie Horn is a junior public relations major from Grapevine, Texas. Kent Sparkman is a senior electronic media and communications major from Slaton, Texas.)

From left, Wes Wise and Curtis Matthews mc | 31


Planned Gifts $500,000 or More Phil and Victoria Price Toni Wallingford $200,000—$499,999 Wayne Sellers Trust L.F. (Rick) and Ginger Francis Mary Faye Green Jerry and Sue Hudson $100,000—$199,000 Michelle and Dale Turner Chris Wallace and Shane Edler $50,000—$99,000 Trish Brown Joyner Patricia and Phil Record Debbie Prost

Lifetime Gifts Ruby ($2,000,000 and above) Helen Jones Foundation, Inc. Diamond ($1,000,000—$1,999,999) C. R. (Choc) Hutcheson Emerald ($500,000—$999,999) Wayne Sellers Management Trust Toni Wallingford Platinum ($250,000—$499,999) Sharleen Formby Rhoads L.F. (Rick) and Ginger Francis Mary Faye Green Jerry and Sue Hudson Wendell and Mary Jane Mayes King (Randall) and Pam Nelson Phil and Victoria Price Gold ($100,000—$249,000) Estate of Samuel O. Montgomery Ramar Communications, Inc. William Randolph Hearst Foundation Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Jim Ferguson Larry and Charlotte Franklin George and Jeannie Irish Trish Brown Joyner Chris Wallace and Shane Edler Silver ($50,000—$99,999) In Memory of Miller Bonner Jr. In Memory of Kelsey Kidd Fred and Vonnie Andrews Dr. John Aure Buesseler and Cathryn Anne Hansen Buesseler Clint Formby Will and Renee Jarrett

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Mass Communications Contributors The following donations were made between January 1, 2011, and May 31, 2011. For questions contact Abbi Brickey at 806-7426500 ext. 228, or abbi.brickey@ttu.edu. College Friends ($15,000—$99,999) Choc and Gin Hutcheson Wendell and Mary Jane Mayes Jr. Platinum ($5,000—$14,999) Michael and Linda Rutherford Gold ($1,000—$4,999) Aars and Wells, Inc. The Dallas Foundation Greater Irving-Las Colinas Morris Communications Southwest Airlines Company Kirk and Charlotte Dooley Clint Formby Jerry and Laurie Green Bill and Avis Ross David and Catherine Swofford Silver ($500—$999) Addison and The North Dallas Corridor Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, Ltd. Burson-Marsteller Lifeway Financial Corporation Ponderosa Energy Holdings, LLC Robert and Laurel Brewster Crit and Mary Dement Jack and Evelyn Freeman Lynn Gilmore


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Box 43082 | Lubbock, TX 79409-3082

Congratulations Scott Pelley The New Anchor and Managing Editor of the CBS Evening News College of Mass Communications Alumnus 2001 Outstanding Alumnus 2006 Mass Communications Hall of Fame


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