![UPDATEfall2014
2
BY ALYSSA LALLY
P
eople find what they are passionate about in many different
ways. For Sheila Ellis-Glasper it was a career assessment
test in high school. The test indicated that she should
consider a career as a wedding planner or a journalist. Since
finding a wedding planner to shadow for her assignment was
tougher than expected, Ellis-Glasper followed a reporter from
the Topeka Capital-Journal. Having had a positive experience
shadowing, she started freelancing for the Capital-Journal through
a high school student work program.
“I really loved the idea of having something new to do every
day and not knowing what’s going to get thrown at you,” Ellis-
Glasper said. “The adrenaline rush [of] writing a story.”
S
heila Ellis-Glasper came to Kansas State University in 2005
with big plans for her future. Knowing that journalism
was her passion, Ellis-Glasper quickly became involved in
the K-State Collegian newspaper. Ellis-Glasper was excited to
become an even more seasoned reporter, but she soon realized
that she was a minority in the newsroom. What she did not know
as an ambitious and eager first-year student was that by the time
her college days were over, she would break down racial barriers
in the Collegian newsroom.
A
ccording to a 2009 Capital-Journal article by Jan Biles,
Ellis-Glasper started her Collegian career in the midst
of a racial controversy. The semester before joining the
Collegian, the Black Student Union hosted a Big 12 Conference
event that hosted more than 1,000 students. Despite being within
a few hundred yards of the event, the Collegian failed to send
a reporter, causing conflict between the paper and the minority
population at K-State.
It was not long before Ellis-Glasper noticed she was assigned
to cover stories and events sponsored by the Black Student
Union or other “black events.” She said she does not think it was
purposeful racism, but more of a convenience because she was
already attending these events.
“I think even if it’s not your race, when you feel pigeon-
holed into certain types of stories because of your background,
that can be offensive,” Ellis-Glasper said.
A
lthough she was not opposed to covering these events,
she knew she was not the only qualified writer to take
the assignments. Ellis-Glasper would attend these events,
but instead of getting to take in the experience as a student, she
was expected to produce a story. She felt as though she was not
getting the opportunity to cover other types of stories.
“In order to be a good reporter you have to be able to write
about a broad range of topics, especially when you’re a young
reporter,” Ellis-Glasper said. “You need to get exposed to all the
types of stories but, I mean, your clips start looking all the same.”
Ellis-Glasper took her concerns to the Collegian advisor,
Kimetris Baltrip, Ed.D., who encouraged her to take a break from
the Collegian. However, Baltrip demanded the young journalist
seek other outlets for her writing.
“We were interested in still furthering her career while
sending a message to the Collegian that she could be a success
without them,” Baltrip said.
B
altrip said that for Ellis-Glasper, the goal was to produce
the best story she possibly could while always striving to
achieve at the highest standard.
“She was really, sincerely hungry to learn and sincerely
wanted to be a great reporter,” Baltrip said.
Baltrip said that before she advised Ellis-Glasper to return to
the Collegian, it was important to her that the Collegian valued
Ellis-Glasper for the reporter that she was. It was imperative to
Baltrip that Ellis-Glasper be known for the high standards she
maintained rather than the color of her skin.
I
t was not until the spring semester of 2009 that Ellis-Glasper
returned to the Collegian. The Collegian staff elected her
campus editor. Ellis-Glasper now had the authority to assign
stories to reporters whom she thought would cover a particular
event well. She no longer would have to cover events out of
convenience. Ellis-Glasper could ensure reporters were assigned
because of their skill set, not their background.
“I wanted to be part of the solution,” Ellis-Glasper said. “I
didn’t want to be a part of the problem, so that’s why I went back
to the Collegian.”
T
he following semester, fall 2009, Ellis-Glasper was
appointed Editor-in-Chief of the Collegian. At the time
she was unaware that she was the first minority ever to
hold the position. She worked with her news team to establish
diversity in the Collegian newsroom and expand coverage of
cultural events. It was important to Ellis-Glasper that all groups
on campus received fair and adequate coverage. She did so by
hiring reporters with different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Collegian Editor-in-Chief Returns to K-State
Ellis-Glasper Handles University Social Media Accounts
as Marketing and Communications
Digital Media Specialist](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/1bcf1f83-fcf3-4a05-beff-7fb8bf5f7863-150724173604-lva1-app6891/85/1214_Update-4-320.jpg)
1214_Update
- 1. FITZWATER’S PATH TO PRESS SECRETARY JMC TO PARTNER WITH UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS FIRST MINORITY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RETURNS TO K-STATE PETERSON BROTHERS USE JMC TRAINING IN ONLINE VIDEOS MILITARY PR COURSE: FIRST IN THE NATION The A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications Alumni Magazine | Kansas State University fall 2014 UPDATE
- 2. DIRECTOR’S NOTE Welcome to the Fall 2014 edition of Update magazine! To me, the end of the year and the holiday season are always a good time for reflection and introspection. It seems this year, especially this fall semester, offered many opportunities for insights, teaching moments, lessons learned, and inspiration for moving forward more firmly. We were fortunate to have Dr. David Thompson from Kennesaw State University join our faculty as a visiting professor during the fall semester. He taught two courses, News and Feature Writing and the Magazine and Feature Writing course that brought you this edition of Update. In addition, he provided an outside perspective to our ongoing discussion on curriculum review, participated in intellectually challenging conversations with colleagues, and served as a sounding board to our graduate students. (See story on page 21.) We are currently searching to fill three faculty positions: The Ross Beach Endowed Chair in Mass Communications, the R.M. Seaton Endowed Chair in Professional Journalism, and a PR/ Advertising assistant professor position. Please visit our website at jmc.ksu.edu for details on these job announcements. We would appreciate your help in spreading the word on these positions and encouraging qualified professionals and scholars to apply. To have three searches going on in one year puts a lot of stress on the faculty. Serving on search committees, helping to recruit applicants, reviewing applications, interviewing finalists, and helping to make hiring recommendations requires time and energy beyond regular commitments that call for excellence in teaching, research, and service. Over the course of summer and fall, we made great progress in right-sizing and redefining our Advisory Council, now more appropriately called National Advisory Council. We are committed to strengthening this group through diversity, transparency, and inclusiveness. Current president, Lucy Reilly Fitch, has already proven herself to be an outstanding leader. Efforts are also underway to establish a JMC Alumni Network to provide an opportunity for our alumni near and far to get more actively involved. Please watch for more information as it is released. We are particularly proud of our first-ever course in Military Reporting, developed and taught by Deb Skidmore. (See story on page 18.) You may remember that, last semester, several of our faculty taught a series of workshops on Fort Riley. This semester, we offered “Fort Riley Day” at K-State. Twenty-one soldiers as well as members of the Garrison visited the Collegian Newsroom and the office of The Royal Purple in Kedzie Hall; the studios of KSDB the Wildcat 91.9 located at the Student Union; and the TV studios and newsroom at Dole Hall. They also attended a specially designed class in Editing taught by Kim Baltrip. On October 7, the A.Q. Miller School participated in the first-ever National News Engagement Day. It was a collective effort to get Millennials and the “Always- On” generation more actively involved in responsible news consumption. The JDM faculty developed an online news game inspired by NPR’s “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me.” On our website (http:// jmc.k-state.edu/news-events/20141007- newsengagement.html), we offered seven sets of three news stories. Each set included one true story and two fabricated ones. Participants had to identify the true stories. The contest was open October 6-8. Of the 126 students who participated, only four correctly identified the seven true stories. It looks like we have some work to do! The “Oz to Oz” item on the Australian exchange program with K-State (See story on page 8.) could not be more timely as we are preparing to host our first-ever Fulbrighter from Australia, a Senior Scholar from Queensland University of Technology, during the Spring semester. More on that in May. On the Table of Contents page, you will see an invitation to visit a website with additional articles. We are pleased to offer this multi-platform magazine reading experience that allows us to offer more content beyond the 24 printed pages. And speaking of printed pages, we are seeking creative ways to fund future editions of Update magazine. Could we interest you in underwriting a fall or spring issue in the future? We would love to see your name as a sponsor. With best wishes for the Holidays and the New Year, we are looking forward to reaching new heights each year. (See story on page 9). [email protected]
- 3. UPDATEfall2014 1 IN THIS ISSUE 2 Collegian Editor-in-Chief Returns to K-State: Ellis-Glasper Handles University Social Media Accounts as Marketing and Communications’ Digital Media Specialist By Alyssa Lally 4 From Boyhood in a President’s Hometown to Press Secretary to Two Presidents: Marlin Fitzwater’s Journey to the White House By Bridget Beran 7 Leaving Home to Discover ‘Family’: International Exchange Student Experiences U.S. Higher Education at Kansas State By Meaghan Wachter 9 Unmanned Aircraft Systems Ready for ‘Take Off’ in JMC Partnerships and Instruction By Bridget Beran 10 Tools for Tomorrow By Alisha Shurr 11 K-State Journalism Courses Contribute to Popular Parodies: Peterson Brothers Promote Farming with YouTube Videos By Jessica Powell 13 K-State Pioneers ‘Engaged Learning’: Printing Students Publish ‘The Industrialist’ in 1875 By Kaitlyn Knight 15 Calling History: FOX Sports Baseball Broadcaster and K-State Grad Calls KC Royals’ First Post-Season in 29 Years By John Zetmeir 17 PR Major Interns with Southwest Airlines’ Collective Heartbeat By Michael Higgins 18 Duty first. Service always. Military Public Relations Class: First in Nation By Halee Thompson and Alyssa Lally 20 Mentors Seek K-State JMC Interns Meet Three: Hedley, Dawes and Cook By Kelly Iverson 21 ‘Accelerate to Excellence’: Visiting Professor David “Turbo” Thompson Leverages Life Experiences By Halee Thompson 23 IN MEMORIAM: Robert (Bob) Bontrager By Jessica Powell 24 Staff: Update Fall 2014 UPDATEThe A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications Alumni Magazine | Kansas State University fall 2014 UPDATE ONLINE A PDF version of this magazine may be found at jmc.k-state.edu/alumni- friends/update/update-2014-12.pdf Limited space and funds for printing led us to publish online (only) additional material produced for this edition. Please notice the YouTube video linked from the story about Chase Fortune. The video was conceived, shot, and edited by the article’s author, Kelly Iverson. The “extra” content may be found at jmc.k-state.edu/alumni-friends/update/ update-2014-12/index.html TYPO CHALLENGE Over the years, JMC alumni have been kind enough to respond to Update by sending errata to the School. This is a normal behavior for anyone who has taken a copy editing course or worked for a student publication. The students who wrote the articles in this issue did their best to produce a perfect publication. However, they realize they may have overlooked a detail here and there. The 2014 edition of the AP Stylebook was used for this issue. So, for the first time, the first five readers to provide feedback about errors and omissions will receive a K-State promotional product, such as a key chain or koozie. Send your errata to the address below. Please add “ATTN: Update Fall 2014 Typo Challenge” to the envelope. And please include your name and return address. ___________________________________ Published by The A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications Kansas State University 105 Kedzie Hall Manhattan, KS 66506-1501 785-532-6890 © 2014 by The A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Kansas State University All Rights Reserved No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, excepting brief quotes within bounds of fair use (www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html). Printed in the United States of America Printed by Ag Press 1531 Yuma Manhattan, KS 66502 785-539-7558 Cover design by Alisha Shurr and David Thompson Cover photo courtesy of The Peterson Brothers
- 4. UPDATEfall2014 2 BY ALYSSA LALLY P eople find what they are passionate about in many different ways. For Sheila Ellis-Glasper it was a career assessment test in high school. The test indicated that she should consider a career as a wedding planner or a journalist. Since finding a wedding planner to shadow for her assignment was tougher than expected, Ellis-Glasper followed a reporter from the Topeka Capital-Journal. Having had a positive experience shadowing, she started freelancing for the Capital-Journal through a high school student work program. “I really loved the idea of having something new to do every day and not knowing what’s going to get thrown at you,” Ellis- Glasper said. “The adrenaline rush [of] writing a story.” S heila Ellis-Glasper came to Kansas State University in 2005 with big plans for her future. Knowing that journalism was her passion, Ellis-Glasper quickly became involved in the K-State Collegian newspaper. Ellis-Glasper was excited to become an even more seasoned reporter, but she soon realized that she was a minority in the newsroom. What she did not know as an ambitious and eager first-year student was that by the time her college days were over, she would break down racial barriers in the Collegian newsroom. A ccording to a 2009 Capital-Journal article by Jan Biles, Ellis-Glasper started her Collegian career in the midst of a racial controversy. The semester before joining the Collegian, the Black Student Union hosted a Big 12 Conference event that hosted more than 1,000 students. Despite being within a few hundred yards of the event, the Collegian failed to send a reporter, causing conflict between the paper and the minority population at K-State. It was not long before Ellis-Glasper noticed she was assigned to cover stories and events sponsored by the Black Student Union or other “black events.” She said she does not think it was purposeful racism, but more of a convenience because she was already attending these events. “I think even if it’s not your race, when you feel pigeon- holed into certain types of stories because of your background, that can be offensive,” Ellis-Glasper said. A lthough she was not opposed to covering these events, she knew she was not the only qualified writer to take the assignments. Ellis-Glasper would attend these events, but instead of getting to take in the experience as a student, she was expected to produce a story. She felt as though she was not getting the opportunity to cover other types of stories. “In order to be a good reporter you have to be able to write about a broad range of topics, especially when you’re a young reporter,” Ellis-Glasper said. “You need to get exposed to all the types of stories but, I mean, your clips start looking all the same.” Ellis-Glasper took her concerns to the Collegian advisor, Kimetris Baltrip, Ed.D., who encouraged her to take a break from the Collegian. However, Baltrip demanded the young journalist seek other outlets for her writing. “We were interested in still furthering her career while sending a message to the Collegian that she could be a success without them,” Baltrip said. B altrip said that for Ellis-Glasper, the goal was to produce the best story she possibly could while always striving to achieve at the highest standard. “She was really, sincerely hungry to learn and sincerely wanted to be a great reporter,” Baltrip said. Baltrip said that before she advised Ellis-Glasper to return to the Collegian, it was important to her that the Collegian valued Ellis-Glasper for the reporter that she was. It was imperative to Baltrip that Ellis-Glasper be known for the high standards she maintained rather than the color of her skin. I t was not until the spring semester of 2009 that Ellis-Glasper returned to the Collegian. The Collegian staff elected her campus editor. Ellis-Glasper now had the authority to assign stories to reporters whom she thought would cover a particular event well. She no longer would have to cover events out of convenience. Ellis-Glasper could ensure reporters were assigned because of their skill set, not their background. “I wanted to be part of the solution,” Ellis-Glasper said. “I didn’t want to be a part of the problem, so that’s why I went back to the Collegian.” T he following semester, fall 2009, Ellis-Glasper was appointed Editor-in-Chief of the Collegian. At the time she was unaware that she was the first minority ever to hold the position. She worked with her news team to establish diversity in the Collegian newsroom and expand coverage of cultural events. It was important to Ellis-Glasper that all groups on campus received fair and adequate coverage. She did so by hiring reporters with different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Collegian Editor-in-Chief Returns to K-State Ellis-Glasper Handles University Social Media Accounts as Marketing and Communications Digital Media Specialist
- 5. UPDATEfall2014 3 Ellis-Glasper paved the way for a more diverse publication, but what Brandon Steinert, the metropolitan editor of her staff, remembers most are her leadership skills. “I think her greatest strength was to realize other people’s strengths and to put them to use,” Steinert said. A fter graduating in 2010, Ellis-Glasper took all she had learned and went to the Roanoke Times in Virginia where she became the weekend crime reporter. She used her experience at the Collegian to ensure fairness in her coverage. “I developed a tough skin at the Collegian and it really helped develop me as a reporter,” Ellis-Glasper said. It was not always easy. She was in Virginia, one of the first states to have slavery and one of the last to integrate. Race proved to be a challenge at times, but Ellis-Glasper did her best to overcome barriers. “The readers of the newspaper are going to have their opinions about you. You’re more of a public person. You have more of an audience than just the college,” Ellis-Glasper said. U pon starting a family, Ellis-Glasper found she was not as interested in the hectic life of a journalist. She said that she left her job at the Roanoke Times for several reasons, but one of the most important was that she had become a mother. “I didn’t want to work night crime reporter hours anymore. I wanted to be at home with my family,” Ellis-Glasper said. Ellis-Glasper said at that point in her life she began trying to define herself as more than a journalist. After putting so much time into being a reporter, she wanted to discover some hobbies. “It was funny, people would ask me, ‘What do you do for fun besides write?’ and I didn’t have an answer for that. I thought that was really pretty weird,” Ellis-Glasper said. W hile on maternity leave, Ellis-Glasper had taken a jewelry-making class which awakened her passion for fashion. She began a faith-based jewelry company called Precious Heart Designs. “I wanted the jewelry to be more than a fashion statement. I wanted it to be a faith statement and that is kind of the basis for my business,” Ellis-Glasper said. E llis-Glasper used her experience as a journalist to capitalize on her social media skills and promote her company, and they did not go to waste. According to the Roanoke Times, in 2013 Ellis-Glasper’s company partnered with For the Love of our Fathers, a foundation established in 2010 by Tameka Harris and Dianne Cottle Pope. Soon after she started her business, Ellis-Glasper and her husband decided to be closer to family. Her husband found a job at K-State as a computer technician. Another position opened at the university for which Ellis-Glasper was hired. She is currently in charge of K-State’s social media accounts. Ellis-Glasper still freelances, but she says that she has found a new passion in social media. “Now that I have a family my priorities are different and when you’re a reporter it takes a lot out of you,” Ellis-Glasper said. “I’m passionate about what I’m doing now. I can still connect with people and make a difference.” t In fall 2009, Sheila Ellen-Glasper became the first-ever minority to serve as Editor-in- Chief of the Collegian newspaper at K-State. She now works in K-State’s Division of Communications and Marketing as a Digital Media Specialist in charge of social media accounts. Photo courtesy of Sheila Ellen-Glasper
- 6. UPDATEfall2014 4 BY BRIDGET BERAN F rom a small farm south of Abilene, Kansas, came the man who would go on to be appointed by not one, but two presidents as press secretary for the White House. In high school, Marlin Fitzwater said he found journalism and fell in love. His passion took him to Kansas State University. “There were so many people I knew in the Abilene area who told me that Kansas State was the greatest college in the world and it was. I had a wonderful experience there,” Fitzwater said. Fitzwater stayed at K-State for five years, though he could have left after four. He joked that he could not bear to leave the place where he met the best friends of his life and made countless great memories as a college student. “I loved going to K-State,” Fitzwater reflected. “I saw it as a way out of rural life that I didn’t think I was suited for. I wanted to go to college very badly and I didn’t have much money. Kansas State was reasonable in cost and it had the journalism courses I wanted.” N ow, at the age of 72, Fitzwater still maintains a strong relationship with K-State and more specifically, Hale Library. In spring 2014, Fitzwater donated his work to the special collections section of Hale Library. “These types of papers are so important, for researchers and for students,” said David Allen, head of special collections. Allen stated that Fitzwater’s experience in Washington was not the only thing that made his papers valuable for students. “Because he’s an alumnus, it also presents a wonderful model for students in journalism and related fields who are looking at their own potential careers. Having a person like that to study their work is a huge benefit. We have wonderful photographs, notes and diaries that will be of great interest.” An old friend from high school built the bridge between Hale and Fitzwater when he called Fitzwater out of the blue and asked if he would be interested in donating his work to the library of his alma mater. Fitzwater said he was delighted that K-State was interested in his work, and while it has been more work compiling his papers than he originally anticipated, he’s very excited for his work to be added to the collection. “Giving my papers to the library is a great honor for me and it’s also special just to know that these special collections of papers are there,” Fitzwater said. Dr. Birgit Wassmuth, director of the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications, says, “We’re very excited to have Marlin’s work here at K-State. I think it will be a valuable resource for students. He’s a great and accomplished man and a great example for our JMC students.” H is life in Abilene inspired his work in public service before starting school at K-State. Home of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Fitzwater said that there was a strong sense of Eisenhower’s life throughout the town. “His impact on me as a young person in Abilene was that government is a really high calling. You can do so many good things for people. It’s an honorable profession worth following and I think that’s one of the biggest reasons I went into the public service,” Fitzwater said. After graduation, he followed that idea to Washington D.C., where he said most of the world’s journalists were headquartered. “I drove to Washington and then had a little trouble getting a job because the newspapers all said, ‘Go back to Kansas, kid. This is where you end up your career, not where you begin,’” Fitzwater said. He persevered and found work with the Appalachian Regional Commission, a government agency. For Fitzwater, his great passion lay not with politics, but with the journalistic aspects of government service. After the ARC, he also worked for the Environmental Protection Agency, the Transportation Department and the Treasury Department in some sector of public affairs, speech writing or press relations work. He said public affairs in public service was his great love in life. H is big break into the political scene came in 1983, shortly after the attempt to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. Fitzwater got a call from James A. Baker III that the White House was in need of a new deputy press secretary for economic affairs. Though never involved in politics, reporters from around Washington had repeatedly referred Fitzwater for the position due to his hard work and dedication to honest reporting. After an interview and a meeting with President Reagan, it was official. “I remember walking out of his office and throwing my arms in the air and I From Boyhood in a President’s Hometown to Press Secretary to Two Presidents Marlin Fitzwater’s Journey to the White House
- 7. UPDATEfall2014 5 said ‘Yes!’ The secretary said, ‘What is that all about?’ and I said, ‘History should show from this day forth, that at least for one day, even if I get fired tomorrow, I was press secretary to the president of the United States,’” Fitzwater said. Over the next 10 years, he would serve President Reagan and President George H.W. Bush, becoming the only press secretary to be appointed by two different presidents. “I think they appreciated most that I was a professional,” Fitzwater said. “I had not come out of a campaign. I was not a political activist who had just been involved in the politics of their campaign. But I had graduated as a journalist; I had worked as a journalist. I had worked in public affairs for the government for 17 years before I ever got involved in politics, and I think President Reagan and President Bush liked that. They kind of liked the idea that I was there because I knew what I was doing and not because I had served on a political campaign.” He said that both presidents had similar personalities as gentle men with great political strength, regardless of their great age differences. I n recent years, he wrote a book “Empires Fall” revolving around President Bush and his relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev, president of the Soviet Union, and how their personal relationships impacted diplomacy while they attempted to resolve the Cold War. Fitzwater said he was prompted to write the book after President Obama came into office and spoke about how difficult it was to get along with leadership of Iran, Russia and other leaders in areas of conflict. “I just thought a book about Gorbachev and Bush would be a good example to the world and to future presidents about what can be done if you can work out personal diplomacy,” Fitzwater said. “Personal relationships are crucial in diplomacy which means the relationships between leaders can determine the fate of the world.” Much of their relationship revolved around the summit when Gorbachev visited the United States for the first time Marlin Fitzwater now lives on the Chesapeake Bay, yet he remains true to K-State. The flowers in the center of the turnaround appear K-State purple. Photo courtesy of Marlin Fitzwater as they attempted to resolve the Cold War, a time Fitzwater referred to as the biggest challenge of his time in the White House. Upon Gorbachev’s first visit, Fitzwater said he had over 7,000 reporters from around the world who came to report on the press conferences he was responsible for organizing. He said they had to move the press briefing room from the White House to a ballroom at a hotel because there were so many people there. Along with Gorbachev’s press secretary, he said they put on a show once a day, every day for a week describing the deliberations taking place in the White House. “It was fragile. It was high-risk for us as spokesmen,” Fitzwater said. “I think it was probably one of the most important things that I did in the White House.” A lways devoted to truth and transparency, Fitzwater said he believes that the American public should know almost everything about government goings-on, excluding issues of national security.
- 8. UPDATEfall2014 6 “These are kids from the neighborhood,” Fitzwater says. “They are grown now. Most have moved away from the neighborhood.” These are moments of joy, away from the world of political wrangling. Photo courtesy of Marlin Fitzwater “I think people should know as much as possible and know what the government’s doing and decide for themselves whether or not the government is doing the right thing for the right people at the right time,” Fitzwater said. “They should guide their voting accordingly. I don’t think secrecy helps anything.” A fter 10 years in the White House, Fitzwater found a new passion in writing books. From historical fiction to short stories, he has tried a variety of writing, with “Empires Fall” being the only book politically related. He even worked on the television show “West Wing” for the first three seasons. “I was very nervous about it because I didn’t want a show that made fun of the White House or didn’t show the right respect,” Fitzwater said. “They promised me they would depict how the real-world White House operated and they wanted me to help.” Now living on the Chesapeake Bay, he is writing another book. It is a collection of short stories he has been writing throughout his life. Fitzwater said he feels this book will be reflective of his life, with stories of his time growing up on a farm, in the White House, his retired lifestyle and even his time at K-State. O ne thing that remains constant in his life is the presence of long-term illness since he was 24-years-old. Fitzwater was diagnosed with skin cancer in 1966, diabetes in 1995 and prostate cancer in 1997. “I’ve had three major illnesses that are long-term in nature, but if you stay with them and take care of yourself and work hard, medicine today can keep you alive for a long time,” Fitzwater said. “I’ve been fighting these issues for 20, 30, 40 years. Today I’m 72, I feel great. I don’t run around the block very often but I’d still say I’m healthy.” He and his wife Melinda, a former Boeing executive whom he met in the White House while she also was working for President Reagan, maintain involvement in their community and the future. Fitzwater received a call in 1997 from the president of Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, New Hampshire, asking him to serve on the board of directors. Five years later, they named the school of communications after him and, since 2002, hundreds of students have graduated with Fitzwater degrees. He encourages the students he encounters to work hard, be honest and fair. And he reminds them that he feels that journalism is the greatest major a student can pursue. “My career is really no different than the ones they’re going to have,” Fitzwater said. “Not all careers lead to the White House but they always start by taking one step at a time. Be prepared to take the first job and work hard and then the second job, and the third and the fourth until you get where you want to be. Nothing is automatic but there’s a pathway of some kind to whatever your aspirations are.” Though Fitzwater said he has received a lot of advice throughout his own life and career, one simple piece of advice has stuck with him. “I think the best advice that I ever received and that I like to pass on to others is simply be kind,” Fitzwater said. “I think kindness pays off greater than any other single thing you could do in life.” t
- 9. UPDATEfall2014 7 Leaving Home to Discover ‘Family’ International Exchange Student Experiences U.S. Higher Education at Kansas State BY MEAGHAN WACHTER L eaving home and studying abroad may seem trying to some people, but not for A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications student Jessica “Jess” Powell. She is visiting Kansas State University as an exchange student from Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. Powell is attending K-State for the 2014 fall semester and plans to return home in early January 2015. Deakin University and K-State are exchange partners. This means that K-State sends students to Deakin to study in ‘exchange’ for students from Australia to study at K-State. “Personally, I had the option of over 200 schools in different destinations all over the world. I just always knew that I wanted to go to the U.S. to have the ‘typical’ college experience,” Powell said. After doing plenty of research on what school she wanted to attend Powell finally decided on K-State. “K-State filled my criteria of being a big state school. It was in the area of the states I had never been to, had a typical dorm style living, a big athletics program and a well-known journalism program,” Powell said. P owell has become accustomed to the teaching style in America. She has recognized and adjusted to differences in curriculum design, interaction with professors, and work load. “My home university is separated into four faculties. Our Communications school sits within the Arts and Education faculty,” Powell said. The undergraduate degree programs in Australia are typically three years long. The first year of General Education classes are not taught in Australia like they are here in the U.S. In Australia, General Education classes are not offered in college. Students are expected to already know the material from high school. Powell also expressed how the teaching style was much more independent in Australia. Students tend to have one, one hour-long lecture a week with one tutorial (lab) per lecture. At Deakin University they have units, which are equivalent to American three credit courses. Completion of four units is required per semester and 24 units are required to obtain a degree. The grading style is also much different in the U.S. than it is in Australia. “It’s much harder to get higher marks at home, anything above a 70 is considered above average for us,” Powell said. At Deakin University there are typically only three or four major assignments per course and exams are held only at the end of the semester. There are rarely, if ever, any small assignments or extra credit opportunities, like some professors may offer at K-State. The student-professor relationship was also a culture shock for Powell. In Australia, there is much less student- teacher interaction than in America. But Australian professors, unless specified otherwise, are referred to by first names. International students Jessica Powell from Australia (right) experiences a K-State football game in Bill Snyder Family Stadium with Kristin Gundersen from Norway. Gunderson is a sophomore majoring in Business Adminstration. Selfie by Jessica Powell T eaching styles and professor-student relationships are not the only things that are different. The two universities as a whole are also complete opposites from each other. Deakin University is a very diverse community. At times, Powell said she is the only Caucasian in class. There is a very high Asian and Middle Eastern population in Melbourne, unlike in Manhattan, Kansas. Deakin is also what they would refer to as a commuter university. Most of the students travel to the campus by train, car or tram. Living on campus is not the ‘normal’ thing to do like it is here. The actual campus is also much smaller than K-State’s. Deakin social events are usually held at various locations around the city instead of on campus. P owell said she knew she would come across a large cultural difference when she moved to Kansas.
- 10. UPDATEfall2014 8 ‘OZ TO OZ’ PROGRAM International Scholar Exchange Between K-State and Australia BY MEAGHAN WACHTER Partnerships between Australian universities such as Deakin University in Melbourne and Kansas State University continue to grow and develop. With those partnerships, the opportunity has arisen for professors to teach at their partnered university abroad. Oz to Oz is a recently developed program which provides the opportunity for professors from K-State to visit Australia and share their knowledge as seminar presenters. The first K-State faculty member to participate in Oz to Oz was Ric Rosenkranz, associate professor of human nutrition in 2014. Oz-to-Oz (http://www.k-state.edu/australia/) builds connections and maintains successful exchange partnerships with universities in Australia. Australian Jumper Service Station Barbie Brekkie Footy Chockie Journo Lollies Macca’s Exy Sheila Bloke Thongs Trackies True Blue Tea Uni Mozzie Bonzer Boot Chrissie American Sweater Gas Station Barbeque Breakfast Australian Rules Football Chocolate Journalist Candy McDonald’s Expensive Woman Male Flip-Flops Track Pants Patriotic Supper University Mosquito Great Trunk of a car Christmas Cross-Cultural Communication in Kedzie Hall Classroom During the fall 2014 semester, exchange student Jessica Powell introduced American students to Australian English. Here are a few Aussie terms and their American English equivalents. Australian exchange student Jessica Powell sports her K-State Wildcat ear warmer while working with Dr. Thompson during an editing session for the Fall 2014 edition of Update magazine. Photo by Halee Thompson “I currently live in Melbourne, which is where I study,” Powell said. “I am originally from a town about the size of Manhattan four hours northeast of Melbourne. It’s hard to explain, they’re relatively similar, but still so very different. I’ve been here long enough that I now think a truck is a normal-sized car! We don’t have trucks back home.” Even in a small vehicle Powell said driving is something she will never attempt to do in the United States. “It’s utterly terrifying! I’ll stick to driving on the left, thanks,” she said. Other cultural differences she has experienced include walking on the right hand side of the sidewalk, having to get used to large serving sizes, tipping and sales tax on top of purchases. L astly, Powell spoke about her single semester in the Little Apple. She said people here helped to make her transition to life at K-State relatively smooth. “My time and experience here has been brilliant,” she said. “K-State is very much a family. The people here are incredible and all so welcoming and kind. This place has very quickly become a home to me.” t
- 11. UPDATEfall2014 9 BY BRIDGET BERAN F orward thinking stands as a focus for the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Implementing new technology can propel a department into the future and for Dr. Birgit Wassmuth, director of the School, and professors Kelly Furnas, Tom Hallaq, and Bonnie Bressers, one new technology of particular interest is the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or drones. Following Journalism Education Association conferences where drone journalism within high schools was discussed, Wassmuth and Furnas’ interests were piqued. As prominent high school journalism programs across the country begin to involve UASs in their student media, Wassmuth said it seemed necessary to keep up with the times to keep K-State and JMC attractive to prospective students. “To ignore this new technology would be like ignoring the advent of the Internet or the advent of photography,” Furnas said, executive director of JEA and assistant professor of journalism. In the June 2013 issue of “Journalism and Mass Communication Educator,” Maria Marron briefly debated the necessity of using UASs in journalism education in her article “Drones in Journalism Education.” Marron wrote that while some of her colleagues were excited about the prospect of implementing UASs, students she surveyed did not deem it a necessary piece of their training. However, Furnas viewed the implementation of UASs as adding one more instrument to a journalist’s toolbox, rather than as a novelty. “What’s really important is that we see the scope of being able to provide better, more in-depth, more comprehensive coverage to our audiences in the future and these systems provide opportunities that traditional newswriting techniques never could have,” Furnas said. H owever, if JMC were to purchase a drone, it was going to need training and help. That is where K-State Salina’s Applied Aviation Research Center became invaluable. Wassmuth initially visited the UAS lab with the Women of K-State in the fall of 2013. Then, in 2014, she facilitated a field trip to the UAS lab for interested JMC faculty members. K-State Salina has had an active UAS program since 2007 and recently opened an office on the Manhattan campus to implement a minor in UAS. One of the top programs in the United States for UAS, K-State Salina hopes that having an office and staff on campus in Manhattan will help it to form partnerships with various departments and colleges. “There’s a whole host of benefits to using unmanned aerial systems,” said Kurt Barnhart, executive director of the Applied Aviation Research Center. “Primarily, it provides an easy, cost-effective and quick way to put a sensor overhead and it has a multitude of applications.” From agriculture to architecture, there are a variety of degree programs that may benefit from implementation of UAS training. However, on K-State’s main campus JMC is in the forefront. “There have been a couple of universities that have gone after Federal Aviation Administration approval to use drones for classroom purposes and some journalism schools in particular that have done that,” Furnas said. “But some of them went without FAA approval or bent the rules that the FAA has been interpreting. They’ve heard from the FAA as a result of that. That’s going to be a big issue for us as we move forward.” Unmanned Aircraft Systems Ready for ‘Take Off’ in JMC Partnerships and Instruction
- 12. UPDATEfall2014 10 I n the spring of 2014, JMC faculty, including Wassmuth, Hallaq, Andy Nelson (no longer on the JMC faculty), and Furnas, visited K-State Salina to look into the program and discuss how a partnership could be beneficial to JMC students. “We actually got to fly a remote- control unit on a simulator,” Wassmuth said. “We had a lot of hands-on opportunity. We could see more how we can fit in as a journalism program with what’s going on with unmanned aircraft systems,” Furnas would like to see a specific course based around the training of how to use UASs and the ethics behind it. Additionally, Wassmuth said she feels they should be implemented and discussed in the classroom, as early as students’ first class within the major. Especially in courses such as photojournalism, she says the use of UASs could set K-State and JMC apart from the pack. O ne important aspect of the UAS training in JMC will be training students in the ethics of using them. Due to the access UASs provide, they can create issues with perceived invasion of privacy. “There is a saying that if it is too dangerous, too difficult or too dull, you send a drone,” Wassmuth said. While these uses make UASs an important and helpful addition to journalism, Wassmuth said she also feels that it is very important that professors stress the importance of ethical use, just as they would with photography or interviews. “We don’t want to teach our students the use of that technology unless we prepare them very well for what the ethical boundaries are,” Wassmuth said. While the A.Q. Miller School would not be the first journalism school to have UASs in its curriculum, Wassmuth said she hopes that JMC will do it right, rather than fast. This is an area where the partnership with K-State Salina is vital. The FAA still has strict rules on how, when, where and who can use UASs. FAA officials are in the process of re-evaluating the regulations and deciding how UASs will fit into the airspace. This new development in policy could be groundbreaking in the implementation for JMC. “We already have people working in Manhattan,” Barnhart said. “There’s really no reason not to move forward. I think there is huge, untapped potential.” W hile several other area journalism schools, including the University of Nebraska- Lincoln and the Missouri School of Journalism, have a drone, they have encountered backlash from the FAA due to failure to follow regulations. K-State Salina already has a certification to use UASs as well as a wealth of knowledge about following FAA regulations, and Wassmuth hopes that partnering with K-State Salina will help ease the addition of the program and keep the department, and its students, out of trouble. “We’d like to do it with Salina on board because they are a well-respected program in the country, in the world, for unmanned aircraft systems,” Wassmuth said. “If we collaborate with them we’ll be doing it the right way and not violate airspace and risk paying a fine. We’d rather do it right.” Cost-wise, Wassmuth is enthusiastic that purchasing a UAS will not be a problem for JMC. Investing anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to several thousand, Wassmuth feels that the addition of a UAS is invaluable to the education of JMC students. “We’re ready to buy a drone tomorrow,” Wassmuth said. “We, as a journalism program, are exploring this new tool that journalists already have in their toolbox. We’re approaching the planning of that education of our journalism majors with that in mind.” As this technology becomes part of the new journalism landscape, JMC faculty will work to ensure students are ready for the ethical use of UASs. Wassmuth said it may take at least a year to formalize the academic career path of combining a JMC major with a UAS minor. t Tools for Tomorrow BY ALISHA SHURR The Dave MacFarland Tools for Tomorrow Technology Fund “was established in 2008 to honor MacFarland on his retirement from the journalism and mass communications’ faculty,” according to Centennial Celebration for K-State’s Journalism and Mass Communications Program Sept. 2-4 (www.k-state.edu/media/ newsreleases/jul10/jmc10071410. html). “MacFarland believes that students and faculty need current technology to excel in their work.” In 2010, the endowed fund reached $100,000. Interest from the fund recently has been used to purchase equipment for student use, including an iPAD live shot mobile kit, Canon EOS 70D digital cameras, and Light Kits. The School is poised to purchase an unmanned aircraft system. Next on the shopping list of acquisitions using the Dave MacFarland Tools for Tomorrow Technology Fund is a UAS with a gimble and a GoPro camera.
- 13. UPDATEfall2014 11 BY JESSICA POWELL W ith the demand of online connectedness and the ever- evolving face of technology and social media changing at a rapid pace, Kansas brothers and Kansas State University family “The Peterson Brothers” have found a method of combining entertainment, education and comedy into a successful social media package. By producing videos for digital distribution, Greg, Nathan, and Kendal Peterson of Assaria, Kansas, have risen to Internet fame and recognition for the agricultural twist they put on several Top 40 pop songs. In addition, they use the digitial media platform to share authentic agricultural knowledge with city slickers and the Millennial generation. Greg Peterson graduated from K-State in May 2013 with a degree in Agricultural Communications. His brother, Nathan, is currently a junior at K-State, while youngest brother Kendal is due to graduate from high school in May 2015. Their YouTube channel “Peterson Farm Brothers” was created in November 2011 and was grounded in the brothers’ combined love for agriculture and interest in bringing what happens on their Midwest family farm to an international audience. “Our goal is to entertain and educate, both at the same time. We realize a lot of people that watch our videos know about farming already, but a significant portion of our views come from non-agricultural people who just happened to stumble upon one of our videos,” Greg Peterson said. “Our goal is to show those people what farmers do in an entertaining, but educational sort of way. Then we direct them to our Facebook page for more personalized interaction where we can answer their questions.” T heir videos range from parodies to informational videos, as well as videos created for pure entertainment. They also produce “Life of a Farmer,” a series of short documentaries that bring to life everyday tasks. The idea for the channel was born at a Sonic Drive-In, where the song “I’m Sexy and I Know It,” was playing over the speakers. “I changed the words on the spot, and the idea for a parody was born,” Greg Peterson said. “We formed a YouTube channel, called it ThePetersonFarmBros, filmed and uploaded the first video in the summer, and within 10 days had over 5 million views.” F ullscreen talent agency, the first media company of its type developed for the connected generation, understands the evolving nature of YouTube content and the hard reality of viewers wanting to watch original content. Fresh content is a key factor as to why some YouTube channels are more successful than others. The Peterson Brothers have had over 400,000 views to their channel in November 2014 and over 84,000 subscribers to their channel, with 7,000 of them having subscribed in the past month. The brothers K-State Journalism Courses Contribute to Popular Parodies Peterson Brothers Promote Farming with YouTube Videos The Peterson family farm in Assaria, Kansas, has become the stage for farm education videos and parodies of popular songs available on YouTube. A 2013 K-State graduate, Greg Peterson, seated, studied agricultural communications and journalism. Current K-State student Nathan Peterson (right) studies agriculture technology management. Youngest brother Kendal Peterson (left) is a high school student. Laura Peterson (sister) helps with video production. Photo courtesy of The Peterson Brothers
- 14. UPDATEfall2014 12 have found a niche on YouTube, which allows them to stand strong against the multitude of online competition. “When we first started, we had no idea what we were doing” Greg Peterson said. “We also had no idea we were going to go viral and impact so many people. After the first video, we realized we had a valuable platform to help educate the world about what farmers do and why they do it. We decided to take the platform and continue to be a voice for farmers through video, pictures, and various social media posts.” T here is no formula to success on YouTube, but consistency is key to gaining a strong subscribership. These videos get passed around the Internet and create new drive and demand for content. Maintaining consistency is key. Booming successes in the YouTube world are channels with videos of structure, planning, quality and originality, which are brands within themselves. For the Peterson Brothers producing content for the channel is a family affair. “I write most of the lyrics, but Nathan and Kendal and even our sister Laura help a lot with the filming ideas. Once we have the lyrics done, we record audio, then we film while lip-synching to the audio Laura helps with that too, then I edit it all together,” Greg Peterson said. C reators face intense competition for viewers. Every minute, 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube. According to Fullscreen, assuming each video uploaded is approximately five minutes in length, it may be estimated that about 2 million videos can be uploaded to the social media platform every day. Expected to hit 90,000 subscribers by the end of this year, the brothers have found their channel has been driven to success by their parody music videos. Their video “Farmer Style” (www.youtube. com then search by title), a parody of Psy’s 2012 YouTube hit Gangnam Style, gave them their original success. It has more than 15.5 million views and is considered their most popular video to date. Of the 64 videos posted to their channel, the Peterson Brothers’ second most viewed video is another musical parody, “I’m Farming and I Grow It.” It has more than 9.1 million views to date. On average, the channel receives about 650,000 views per video. T heir most recently released video, “I’m So Farmer,” a parody of the popular song “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea, has close to 10,000 views. It has been shared worldwide since its upload in mid-November. “Besides receiving over 30 million views in over 200 countries, we’ve been amazingly fortunate to make various performing and speaking appearances all over the world. A year ago we performed in Hannover, Germany, at the Agritechnica Farm Show and last August we performed at the National Cotton Convention in Gold Coast, Australia,” Greg Peterson said. “I have given presentations as a public speaker in over 35 states and we’ve gotten to meet and interact with thousands of farmers, ranchers, and very important people in the agriculture industry.” D uring his time at K-State, Greg Peterson took several social media management courses that influenced how he operates The Peterson Farm Brothers social media accounts. “I took quite a few writing and journalism classes that helped push me both as a lyric writer and as a blogger,” Greg Peterson said. One particular blog post about misconceptions in agriculture was picked up by The Huffington Post. B eing an online celebrity of sorts, the brothers are never far from being recognized by their online supporters, particularly if they are at an agriculture-based venue or location. “It doesn’t really matter where we are, if there are people familiar with farming, there are usually people familiar with our videos,” Greg Peterson said. “I’ve been recognized at quite a few airports by random people, and probably the most mind-blowing was when we stopped at a gas station in Australia, and a trucker recognized us and asked to take his picture with us.” t
- 15. UPDATEfall2014 13 BY KAITLYN KNIGHT T wenty-five type cases, 200 pounds of long primer moveable lead type and a proof press were the beginnings of the first Kansas State University printing course. It began in December 1873, according to College Symposium of the Kansas State Agricultural College from the K-State Library Archives. The first instructor of the course was M.W. Schillerston, who was a student at the time. Along with Schillerston, K-State President John A. Anderson served as an instructor. This would lead to one of the first known printed papers at K-State, The Industrialist. F ounded as Bluemont Central College in 1858, the school was renamed as Kansas State Agricultural College in 1863. The equipment used by the printing class was housed in the chapel of a building donated by the Bluemont Central College Association. On April 1, 1874, A.A. Stewart started teaching printing. “Boys used to throw type down the stairways until protective measures were taken,” said Stewart, according to History of Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science. T he first issue of The Industrialist, a three-column paper printed in Brevier seven-point and Nonpareil nine-point type, was published on April 25, 1875, and sold for five cents according to archived issues in the K-State Library. Anderson served as the managing editor while J.H. Folks served as business manager according to the College Symposium, found in the K-State Archives. The publication was meant to serve as a source of communication between the administration and the public. Some of the biggest contributors to The Industrialist were faculty members who wrote articles pertaining to their field of study. One article written by Professor J.S. Whitman, featured in the inaugural issue, talks about the grasshopper problem that affected the “bluffs near the college.” During its publication, The Industrialist was sent to every newspaper published in Kansas, as well as to members of the K-State Pioneers ‘Engaged Learning’ Printing Students Publish ‘The Industrialist’ in 1875 Printing students set lead type by hand for the next issue of “The Industrialist.” A proof press may be seen near the upper right of this photo. Photo courtesy of Kansas State University Archives legislature. According to History of Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, this led to Anderson becoming widely known and well liked by the public. As a result of his popularity, Anderson resigned as president of K-State to pursue a career in politics. B y 1882 an increase in demand for the paper called for an update to the printing equipment. The format changed from a three-column layout to a four-column layout. The half-medium Gordon job press was replaced by a Cottrell & Babcock cylinder press. It was also during this time that a third-year student was elected to fill the space left by Stewart who resigned in October of 1881 to accept a position with the Topeka Capital. According to History of Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science, George F. Thompson, “a mature student and practical printer,” held the position until 1886 when he took a job with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The class was then taught by J.S.C. Thompson who held the position from
- 16. UPDATEfall2014 14 January 18, 1887, to June 30, 1897 – a little more than a decade. I n 1887, the format of The Industrialist changed once again. Along with an increased page size, the four-column layout went back to a three-column layout with an increase in width and ten-point type. Started as a newspaper in which articles were written by faculty, The Industrialist eventually became an alumni paper. That led to creation of The K-Stater in 1951 as an experimental supplement to The Industrialist. The K-Stater is now an award-winning magazine and a valuable source of information for graduates. The K-Stater currently reaches more than 41,000 alumni. The last issue of The Industrialist appeared in 1955. T he printing department had many different homes. The first building to house the equipment was donated by the Bluemont Central College Association in 1873. • 1874 – Relocated to the Old Platt residence, a building that was once occupied by Professor Platt, an agriculture instructor. The first six issues of The Industrialist were printed at this residence. • 1875 – The department changed locations on June 5 to a building located on the south side of Poyntz A printing instructor guides a male student through the process of selecting individual lead letters from a job case. A female student (lower right) sets type for a story hand- written on a sheet of notebook paper. Photo courtesy of Kansas State University Archives Avenue. The move did not last long and by September 1 printing was relocated to the second floor of the new Industrial Arts building. • 1880 – The department moved to the chemistry building. • 1884 – In order to make room for chemistry classes, the department was moved to the shops building. When the Sewing Department moved to Anderson Hall, printing was moved into a room that had once been used as a kitchen laboratory. • 1893 – The department was relocated to the southwest rooms in the basement of Anderson Hall. • 1898 – When the Home Economics Department moved to Kedzie Hall, space was freed up for the Printing Department to expand further into the basement of Anderson Hall. The Printing Department turned a former kitchen lab into a composing room, according to History of Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science. • 1922 – The Printing Department moved back to Kedzie Hall once Thompson Hall was built for the Home Economics Department. A fter 42 years, the Printing Department was incorporated with Industrial Journalism on July 1, 1915. Charles James Dillon had been hired in 1911 as head professor in Industrial Journalism and Printing. Dillon who had worked at The Kansas City Star for 11 years, changed the format of The Industrialist. It was during 1915 that The Industrialist clearly served as a learning tool for students to practice their writing and printing skills. Dillon helped shape the curriculum for Journalism until his departure in August of 1913 to become the managing editor of the Capper Farm paper in Topeka. S tudents who studied printing at K-State went to work for the newspaper industry. According to College Symposium from the K-State Library Archives, one student named Edwin Snyder, class of 1888, became owner and editor of The Highland Chief in Highland, Colorado. The A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications still carries the tradition of producing student printed media through the award-winning The Royal Purple yearbook, the Collegian newspaper, and Update magazine. t
- 17. UPDATEfall2014 15 BY JOHN ZETMEIR T he average age of students at Kansas State University is 21 years old. This fall, fans of the Kansas City Royals saw their team return to postseason action for the first time since 1985. For many K-State students who grew up supporting the Royals, this was the first time in their lives they would experience their team playing post-season baseball. As the Royals were battling through the dog days of summer, the fall and the playoffs in October, K-State JMC alumnus Steve Physioc (Class of ‘77) was there. Since 2012, “Phyz” has been a part of the Royals’ broadcast team for FOX Sports doing play-by-play commentary after coming from Los Angeles where he did play-by-play for the Angels. On September 26, the Royals defeated the Chicago White Sox 3-1 in Chicago to clinch a wild-card spot and playoff berth for the first time in 29 years. As the Royals celebrated on the field and uncorked champagne in the clubhouse, Physioc felt as if players washed away more than the dirt and sweat from the night’s game. “It really looked at it as if they were washing away, with the champagne, 29 Calling History FOX Sports Baseball Broadcaster and K-State Grad Calls KC Royals’ First Post-Season in 29 Years Steve Physioc stands proudly with the 2014 American League championship trophy awared to the Kansas City Royals. Photo courtesy of Steve Physioc years of history,” Physioc said. “They’ve done it. They’ve made it.” P hysioc was no stranger to the Royals or the Kansas City area. The long- time announcer has been following the Royals as a fan since they first came into existence. “I was an A’s fan back in the 1960s. When they left, I really felt a withdrawal. For that one year they were gone, I felt like we didn’t have major league baseball. That was 1968,” Physioc said. “I was so excited when the Royals came into existence and began in 1969. I followed them religiously
- 18. UPDATEfall2014 16 so I watched them grow into a real power. Baseball was back!” P hysioc was able to move into a different role while covering the Royals’ playoff success. TBS, the television station that televised the Royals through the first three rounds of the playoffs, gave Physioc the opportunity to sideline report, taking him out of the press box and putting him on the field. “It was a lot of fun,” Physioc said. “It was a lot different because I’m a little bit divorced being up in the booth, separated from the team. But to see that camaraderie, that teamwork, that excitement and unabashed joy, that’s what it’s all about. “You hear coaches say ‘let’s try to have fun.’ When you’re trying to have fun, you’re not having much fun. This team was having fun. They were playing the game.” O ne of the most enjoyable aspects from this season for Physioc was watching the Royals put it all together, resulting in a World Series trip. Prior to the 2013 season, the Royals had not had a winning season since 2003. Physioc, along with his partner Rex Hudler, both joined the Royals prior to the 2012 season. That year, Kansas City finished 72-90, but it was clear that the Royals were making progress. It was during his later days in Los Angeles that Physioc noticed what new general manager Dayton Moore was putting together in Kansas City. While the Royals may not have the same talent level as some of the bigger market teams, they were able to find ways to win baseball games as a collective unit, something that Physioc compared to a K-State football team. “Individually, Bill Snyder’s athletes aren’t as good as Oklahoma or Texas or other schools in the conference,” Physioc said. “But collectively Bill Snyder gets his team to play as a team that really believes and buys in and that’s what the Royals did this year. They really got their athletes to buy in to the team philosophy.” P hysioc is among the most distinguished K-State alumni in sports journalism today. During his time at K-State, he served as the sports director for KSDB-FM student radio while also working for several local news stations. For fellow alumni, like 2013 graduate Mark Kern, who also called games for KSDB-FM during his time at K-State, seeing a Kansas City native calling the Royals’ historic season had a different feel. “For Royals fans, it was such an emotional time to see their team in the World Series,” Kern said. “For a guy like Steve though, he understood how much it meant for the city. When you see a Joe Buck or Ernie Johnson calling the game, it’s just different. They are both great at their jobs, but they don’t truly understand how much that World Series trip meant to Kansas City.” P hysioc has been a consummate professional in the sports journalism world. In addition, he has made himself available to help students when they seek advice from someone who has been through the grind. In 2013, “Phyz” was honored by K-State’s College of Arts and Sciences, receiving an Alumni Merit Award for his longevity as a sports announcer and for representing his alma mater well. “That’s his message,” said Steve Smethers, associate director of undergraduate studies of the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications. “His message is that he recalls on his college days as a time when he became good, he became good at what he did. I think we figured that he had probably called something like 200 games by the time he graduated from college which is just unbelievable.” S teve Physioc has done it all. He has called games for just about every major sport, both at the professional and college level. From Topeka to Cincinnati to LA and back to the Midwest, he has traveled the country for nearly three decades doing what he loves. Physioc says the alumni award he received in 2013 was a tremendous honor because of how much K-State means to him and the doors the university opened for his career. Physioc believes that to be successful, no matter what the profession, it is important to be a good teammate. That is how he has found success as a person, journalist, father and husband. “When you put others first, you’ll find success,” Physioc said. “We all want success. But when you truly put others first, great things happen. That’s what happened with the Royals this year.” t
- 19. UPDATEfall2014 17 PR Major Interns with Southwest Airlines’ Collective Heartbeat BY MICHAEL HIGGINS W hen senior public relations student Reghan Tank began to look at schools, choosing between Kansas State University and the University of Missouri was not an easy task. Despite having a brother at K-State, the decision was still tough. During her final semester of high school, she received a letter in the mail from Dr. Pat Bosco, vice president of Student Life at K-State, saying that he hoped to see her in purple the following semester. After that, she knew that Manhattan was her destination. “That letter meant a lot to me and ultimately sealed my fate as a Wildcat,” she said. Tank started her journey as a graphic design major, but quickly realized she had other interests. After being introduced to the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications, she instantly fell in love with the public relations program and knew that PR was what she needed to do. Towards the beginning of her sophomore year, Tank was researching potential internships when she stumbled upon Southwest Airlines internships on the JMC website, detailing information about programs they offer college students in an array of majors and degree options. “I remember looking at the criteria for the internship and realizing that I wasn’t quite qualified for the programs,” Tank said. “I wanted to be prepared and sought out ways to help beef up my resumé.” The fall of her junior year came quickly and an internship with Southwest Airlines was something that she wanted. Tank decided to apply for six internships. “I knew right away that I wasn’t going to receive at least five of the positions I had applied for, and I was correct on that part,” she said. Tank did receive a first-round interview for a position in customer relations. After the interview she recalled not feeling very confident of her chances. Her gut reaction was correct. She did not receive the position. Tank pursued other avenues of opportunity for experience, but found she could not stop thinking about Southwest Airlines. Nor had the airline forgotten about her. “I was driving home for spring break when I answered a call from one of the original interviewers from Southwest,” Tank remembered. “He told me that they wanted to fly me to Dallas to interview in person for the customer relations position.” Having an internship offer already on the table from another company, Tank had a serious decision to make. After weighing her options, she pursued the opportunity at Southwest. Her leap of faith paid off as Southwest Airlines offered her a spot. S outhwest Airlines is based out of Dallas, Texas, at Dallas Love Field. Southwest’s entire branding strategy is based on the love it has for both its employees and customers. Even the company’s newest campaign is focused on the concept of a “collective heartbeat,” which features a large heart painted on the bottom of every plane. The company’s main focus is to take care of its employees and work toward creating an atmosphere that its staff truly loves. “I was assigned to work in the Customer Relations Department,” Tank said. “Southwest is very casual and fun in their internship program. We got to wear jeans the entire time.” In the Customer Relations Department she was a member of the communications team, which worked with both internal and external communications. During her internship, she helped break ground on massive updates the company was developing. Tank also chose other departments to shadow. “The most memorable experience I had at Southwest was getting invited to have lunch with about ten other interns with Herb Kelleher and Colleen Barrett, the original CEO of Southwest and the executive secretary of the airline,” she recalled. “They paid for lunch, and my bosses let me take that afternoon off.” A nother bonus of the internship was the chance to fly for free on the weekends. Tank was given the opportunity to experience all the perks of being an employee with the airline. During her 12-week internship she was in Dallas only about four weeks. The rest of the time she was jetting across the country. Tank could not be happier with her experiences at the internship. She hopes to pursue a career with the airline after graduation. t Selfie courtesy of Reghan Tank
- 20. UPDATEfall2014 18 BY HALEE THOMPSON AND ALYSSA LALLY W hen public relations Professor Deborah Skidmore started teaching at Kansas State University seven years ago, she realized the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications was in a unique position to take advantage of a valuable opportunity. Being only 20 minutes from Fort Riley, Skidmore believed a mutually beneficial relationship between the A.Q. Miller School and the military base could be fostered. Skidmore thought that a course in the public relations sequence could make this happen. A civilian, Skidmore served in the Public Affairs Office at Fort Riley before teaching at K-State. She admits that military public relations was not her passion when she first entered the workforce, but it did not take long for her to warm up to her role. Skidmore said she felt creating a quality relationship between the community and the military base was a way for her to serve her country. “Public relations is great for gaining a support system for the military,” said Staff Sgt. Jay Wilson of the 108th Aviation Regiment in Topeka. “It helps improve the relationship with the community and helps people realize what a positive role the military plays.” I t was important to Skidmore that the A.Q. Miller School work with Fort Riley to create a relationship. Skidmore said the only existing connections K-State had with Ft. Riley were through internships and sports programs. “It’s a shame that we were ten miles apart and students didn’t know what Fort Riley did, other than make noise and show up in Aggieville,” Skidmore said. Skidmore had the idea to start a military public relations class to offer to students in hopes of developing a better understanding of the military. She approached the director of the School, Birgit Wassmuth, with her idea and was encouraged to begin writing a syllabus and lesson plans to propose a new class. Skidmore said she received generous support from her colleagues in the process of writing her proposal. She sought advice from College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Louise Benjamin, who helped her make changes and improvements. Skidmore said the department was very receptive and enthusiastic to help. After writing the proposal, Skidmore walked it through the approval process for new courses. Public Relations sequence head, Joye Gordon, agreed to move forward, so the proposal was submitted to the School’s curriculum committee. With the committee’s approval, the proposal was presented to the entire JMC faculty for a vote. Faculty approval was the go-ahead to schedule the course. For this article, a search was conducted to locate evidence of any existing military public relations course at “.edu” sites. None was found. Therefore, it appears as though Skidmore’s course is among the first, if not the first, military public relations course in the United States. Military Public Relations Class First in Nation Duty First. Service Always. During a field trip to Fort Riley, home of the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division known as the Big Red One, Jakki Forester (with camera), senior, journalism and American ethnic studies, documents an unidentified soldier’s explanation of a troop carrier to Renee Douglas, junior, public relations. Photo by Alyssa Lally
- 21. UPDATEfall2014 19 I n fall 2014, Skidmore offered her military public relations class for the first time. The class of 20 students learned everything from recognizing military ranks just by looking at uniforms, to understanding military jargon, to writing military-style press releases. “I had never thought about military public affairs before,” senior public relations student Ross Jensby said. “This class opened my eyes to amazing opportunities and I would recommend every journalism and public relations student to take the class.” Skidmore’s first lesson was recognizing military rank because a common mistake in identifying rank can insult someone, making that person less cooperative with the media. A long with teaching a military public relations class, the A.Q. Miller School has forged an official partnership with Fort Riley that allows the military base to gain insight to the university. And the A.Q. Miller School has sent professors to Fort Riley to teach classes and seminars to military journalists. S kidmore says the reaction from students about the class has been extremely positive. K-State students have put together campaigns for Fort Riley’s Operation Santa Claus, a non-profit organization run by soldiers that collects toys for military families in the area. “It’s important to know that we’re not really that different,” Skidmore said. “We have college students here working on a degree and we have people who have chosen to learn and start their career through the military. We can work together.” For Skidmore, the most rewarding part of creating a new class has been the reaction from students. The class has visited Fort Riley twice for a field day and a live fire event. “We were able to get up close and see what the soldiers training looked like,” public relations student Angie Linnebur said. “At the field day, we were escorted around the soldiers’ encampment and saw day-to-day operations. At the live fire, we were able to watch a combat situation. The whole time we were getting quotes from soldiers and looking at their different patches and badges to figure out their ranks.” Students were required to write a press release about the events. The Fort Riley Post published a story by K-State student Cheyanna Williams. “I’ve had students come up to me and say they didn’t even know this career existed,” Skidmore said. “Now they are considering a career in military PR.” t Col. Miles Brown describes safety procedures for a “live fire” exercise in which a battle scenario is executed using real weapons, rather than simulated ammunition. Left to right: Col. Miles Brown; Laura Meyers, sophomore, journalism; Joseph Kucharski, senior, journalism; Halee Thompson, senior, public relations; and Shelby Estes, junior, journalism. Photo by Alyssa Lally
- 22. UPDATEfall2014 20 BY KELLY IVERSON E very semester, students tackle difficult, outrageous, and rewarding internships. Students have traveled from California to Haiti and even to India to satisfy their required internship credit. As intriguing as these places may be, students also find productive internships in Manhattan, Kansas. Some professionals in the Little Apple have served as mentors for JMC students as internship supervisors. While working as a public relations representative for the Boy Scouts of America, Robert Hedley learned that JMC students from Kansas State University are available for work as interns. What began with one student a semester grew to seven. When he retired from the Boy Scouts in 2008, Hedley spoke with Gloria Freeland, assistant professor and internship coordinator in the A.Q. Miller School, about continuing to help students. For more than 10 years, Hedley has had interns in the spring, summer, and fall semesters. C athy Dawes, news director of Manhattan Broadcasting Company in Manhattan, has been working with the internship program for thirteen years now. She sees about 1-2 students every semester at KMAN and estimates she has had about 30-35 student interns. L inda Cook serves as assistant vice president of communications at the K-State Alumni Association. Her student interns mostly work on a project- to-project basis. Some of these projects include contributing to K-Stater Magazine, writing articles for electronic newsletters, managing online content, and updating the association’s website. At any given time, the association usually works with four or five student interns. One of those may be assigned to Cook and the communications department. F reeland said the main goal of the required internship credit for students is to take some lessons they have learned in the classroom and apply them in a real world situation. According to Freeland, an internship offers a student a chance to sample a career before committing to it. In some cases a student intern may realize “this is not for me.” Other student interns may discover a true passion for a profession. H edley has his students write articles and attend events. He has asked students to assist with organizing and hosting golf tournaments, running district banquets, and working at the zoo. Four important characteristics of productive interns, according to Hedley, are strong academic performance, well- developed resumés, steadfast commitment, and a solid sense of loyalty. “The big thing is, I like helping students. I help them find a real job when the time comes,” Hedley said. “I’ve got students from Connecticut to California and everywhere in between.” He said some people have a hard time finding jobs, especially those in smaller towns in Kansas looking for work with big firms. Hedley’s contact network covers 22 states, and he says 100 percent of his students have jobs after interning with him. W hile Hedley focuses on print, Dawes’ interns focus on a variety of different things. Dawes said her interns are treated as though they are a part of the news team. Students do production, writing, voice- overs, and cover stories. To begin, interns are paired with experienced professionals. Interns learn to use equipment, apply knowledge, and experience the lightning- fast pace of a day in the radio business. Interns primarily tell their stories on the air, but students with a knack for print are able to write and publish their stories online. Much of the work relates to generating stories for the air the next day. When interns “show potential then we’ll go ahead and let them go out on their own a little towards the end of the semester,” Dawes said. I nterns at the Alumni Association write as well. However, the way in which they write differs from the typical news story one reads in the paper. “Our audience is very diverse,” Cook said. “We have people that graduated in the 1940s and even before then down to people who just graduated in December 2014.” Often, full-time staff are dedicated to a full work load, so interns help the Alumni Association by taking on assignments that require journalism and mass communication skills and that expand the productivity of the department. “That’s one of the things that we try to work on is making sure that it’s an internship project that really gets out the journalism and mass communication skills,” Cook said. M entors value the ambition, independence, teamwork and work ethic delivered by JMC student interns. “Comments I hear from internship supervisors are that they appreciate the fact that students take the initiative,” Freeland said. “They see that a job needs to be done and pick it up and do it, rather than waiting for things to be dropped in their lap.” M any companies return to the A.Q. Miller School year after year to find student interns. Dawes said it has been a very good partnership. She meets new people, and many interns with whom she works end up getting hired by her company. “It’s a nice experience to see people develop and learn, and I guess you could say it keeps me young,” Dawes said. “It kind of lets me know what’s out there with the younger generation.” Cook said she is active in trying to find jobs for students after they have completed internships at the Alumni Association. “It helps us show a student just what skills are needed out in the work place,” Cook said. “Also, student interns bring new ideas that help us stay on our toes and keep up with trends and technology.” t Mentors Seek K-State JMC Interns Meet Three: Hedley, Dawes and Cook
- 23. UPDATEfall2014 21 BY HALEE THOMPSON P rofessional trombonist. Fork lift driver. Retail manager. Editor and publisher. Graphic designer. Digital and emerging media researcher. World traveler. Fulbright Senior Scholar. Now visiting professor in the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications. David “Turbo” Thompson, Ph.D., has a long history of leveraging life experiences. And he has a knack for sharing his seamless learning approach in creative ways with college students. “I raced stock cars as a hobby, and I have researched and written about the history and culture of stock car racing in America,” Thompson said. “So when Pixar’s film ‘Cars’ was released, it seemed natural to me to make connections between Lightning McQueen’s personal growth in the film and students’ transition into life as college students. This turned out to be a very productive teaching strategy.” Thompson is an award-winning teacher and researcher whose approach to teaching and learning may appear similar to the base-jumping character Sandy Lyle in the film “Along Came Polly.” “When I first learn something, I tend to jump in head first,” Thompson said. “Then I figure out how to do it. It’s not reckless abandon; it’s a learning approach based on exploration and discovery.” ‘Accelerate to Excellence’ Visiting Professor David “Turbo” Thompson Leverages Life Experiences David Thompson joined the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications for one semester in the role of “visiting professor.” As such, he taught two courses; expanded his network of professional relationships; made presentations and presented guest lectures; contributed an “outside” perspective, as appropriate; shared opportunities for collaborative research and co-authorship; and experienced another campus culture. Photo by Halee Thompson Thompson encourages college students to embrace adventure and active learning. He said university campuses are similar to the many local race tracks sprinkled across the nation. “If you want to learn about cars,” Thompson said, “the little dirt track at your county fairground is the classroom. Once a week, two or three hundred of the area’s best mechanics show up at that one spot for five or six hours.” Thompson said he would go to one mechanic and ask, “Here’s what my car is doing. What’s wrong with it?” Then he would go to the next mechanic with the same question. When he found two mechanics who said the same thing, that
- 24. UPDATEfall2014 22 “The moment I set foot on the parking lot at Englewood, I knew this place was for me,” Thompson said. “Dust from the track clouded the already-weak old stadium lights; echoes of the cars running warm- up laps thundered; and I breathed in, as deeply as possible, the sweet smell of ethyl alcohol exhaust from the modified engines. These drivers were my childhood heroes.” W hen “Turbo” was 24 years old, he only knew enough about cars to change his oil and air filters. But he had had enough of watching from the grandstands. “Turbo” wanted to drive. “One of my neighbors in San Antonio, Texas, had a race car in his yard, so I went to see him race. At this same time my grandma got too old to drive so she gave me her 1974 Chevy Impala.” Thompson knocked on his neighbor’s door, introduced himself, and said, “I have my grandma’s car and I want to go racing.” The neighbor said, “Okay. I’ll tell you what, we’ll take my old car; we’ll put your grandma’s motor and transmission in it. I’ll build a new car and we’ll go racin’.” The neighbor, Bill Kinnear, was a “self-described Pennsylvania hillbilly,” Thompson said. “He was an independent learner. He figured out things on his own.” S ix months after racing for the first time, Thompson enrolled in graduate school at the University of Texas - Austin. He became interested in cognitive is what he fixed first. In the process, he has learned four or five other possible diagnoses and repair strategies. “A college campus is home to some of the best minds in a wide range of subject areas,” Thompson said. “Just like a race track. Ask questions. Be ready to listen carefully and think critically about the answers. Then try. It’s deceptively simple: Ask. Listen. Think. Do.” He puts responsibility on students to learn. But Thompson watches carefully and seems to know when to step in with a series of questions that leads a student to think through a challenge in a way that allows the student to own the solution. Some students are not sure, at first, how to address him. Meaghan Wachter said, “He introduced himself in the first class and said call him ‘Doctor Thompson’ or ‘Turbo.’ How do we decide?” T hompson said the moniker was his racing name. He said quite a few racers have nicknames, such as “Fireball” Roberts and Richard “The King” Petty. Thompson was afraid other drivers would call him “Dangerous Dave,” so he pre-emptively give himself a nickname that sounded faster than the cars he raced. “Turbo Thompson.” This was all before he had a car to race. From the age of four, “Turbo” knew he had to race. His dad took him to weekly races at Englewood Speedway, near Denver, Colorado. “Turbo” Thompson has used his stock car to promote literacy with book giveaways to children during intermission at the now-defunct Longhorn Speedway in Austin, Texas. Photo by track photographer, Longhorn Speedway, Austin, Texas psychology, adult literacy, eye movements and the psychology of reading. “I decided to do a literacy promotion with the race car. I painted the car school bus yellow and called it ‘The Bookmobile,’” Thompson said. “I painted the numbers as if they emerged from the pages of a book. I called my program ‘Accelerate to Excellence.’ During intermission on race night, I gave away books to kids while the track announcer made a big deal out of learning to read.” T hompson’s love of adventure and discovery provide a powerful role model for students at K-State. He combines his interests in ways that result in productive outcomes, including course content, mentoring, research and publication, community service, and high- profile exposure that helps to raise the profile of his employers. He is known by Dr. Steven Smethers, associate director for undergraduate studies in the A.Q. Miller School, as a visual communication expert. Some of Thompson’s other specialities include emerging media, innovations in online media, online advertising, transformative learning, and undergraduate research. He has presented his research in the United States, Hong Kong, Canada, mainland China and Japan. And he has served as a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Germany. t
- 25. UPDATEfall2014 23 IN MEMORIAM Robert (Bob) Bontrager November 11, 1922 – July 31, 2014 BY JESSICA POWELL Robert Bontrager, Ph.D., was a profes- sor at Kansas State University for 19 years. He will be remembered for his numerous contribu- tions to the academic unit now known as the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Commu- nications. Bontrager passed away in July 2014 of complica- tions from kidney and heart disease following surgery to repair a broken leg. Born in 1922, Bontrager grew up on a farm near Elkhart, Indiana. He was the second of six children. Bontrager was a 1945 graduate of Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. This is where he met Mable Bausch whom he married the following year. M uch-respected and well liked, Bontrager played an essential and unforgettable role in the JMC department at K-State. He opened the eyes of students to some previously unstudied topics of communications. He taught courses such as Journalism Ethics and Communications Theory. Yet, Bontrager’s long-standing mark was left with his adaptation of the Magazine Production Class and creation of the Black Press in America course, which to this day has been taught only by him. Bontrager proposed that his Magazine Production class create a magazine for alumni of the JMC School. “Update Magazine” had its inaugural issue in 1976. It still is created and produced by the magazine course each semester. This fall 2014 edition marks the magazine’s 38th year of production. B ontrager maintained a collection of minority publications that were published between 1964 and 1978 which he used to teach his course on the Black Press in America. Included in his collection are Black Business Digest, Black Journalism Review, The Black Scholar, Black Voices, Encore, Essence, Liberator, The Afro American, The Crusader, Ebony Jr.!, The Call (Kansas City), Uhuru (Kansas State University), and The Voice of Hope. In 2010, piles of these periodicals were found in the basement of Kedzie Hall. This collection, now known as the “Robert Bontrager Papers,” opened in 2012. They are stored and maintained in the Morse Department of Special Collections in the Kansas State Archives. The papers and the teaching of the Black Press in America course were of particular interest to Bontrager. This was the topic of his doctoral dissertation from Syracuse University in 1969. He was also inspired by 15 years spent in the Belgian Congo (now referred to as the Democratic Republic of Congo). Bontrager and his wife served abroad under the Auspices of the Congo Inland Mission, a Mennonite organization. Together they worked in Africa as educators and publishers before returning to the United States in 1965. A dmired for his expertise and knowledge of the Journalism Department, Bontrager was elected acting department head between 1972-1973 and 1979-1980. He also chaired the Journalism Department’s graduate studies program from 1971-1989 and worked on a successful reaccreditation campaign on behalf of the department. He was the associate director of the journalism program from 1986-1989. Gloria Freeland, assistant professor of journalism and mass communications, was a student during Bontrager’s time at K-State. She describes him as a smart and kind man. “He was quiet, but not afraid to speak his mind on topics which were close to his heart and about which he was passionate,” Freeland said. “He was well-admired for his new ways of thinking as well as the fresh and innovative ideas which he presented to his students.” H e served on the board of directors of Laubach Literacy International, a program which was created to address the worldwide issue of illiteracy. Bontrager also was a judge in the National Unity Media Awards which recognize contributions to continuing standards of excellence in media. They particularly reward efforts that reflect accurate exposure of issues affecting minorities and disabled persons. He also served in various capacities with the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Bontrager retired from K-State in 1989. Friends, former colleagues and students of Dr. Bontrager are invited to sign the electronic guestbook and view photos on his memorial site at bob.sharedthinking.com. t Archive photo courtesy of A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications
- 26. UPDATEfall2014 24 Name: Bridget Beran Major: Journalism Minor: Political Science Year: Junior Career Goal: To write for a political or agricultural publication Personal Goal: To visit all 50 states before the age of 25 Cool Fact: Bridget was runner-up in 2013 for National Hereford Queen sponsored by National Hereford Women, which is associated with the American Hereford Association. Name: Michael Higgins Major: Public Relations Minor: Leadership Studies Year: Junior Career Goal: Work in public relations in the airline industry Personal Goal: Pursue work and life outside of Kansas Cool Fact: Started college at the University of Kansas; saw the light and moved to Manhattan! Name: Kelly Iverson Major: Journalism Outside Concentration: Visual Arts Year: Senior Career Goal: To find employment abroad in the journalism field Personal Goal: To learn another language fluently Cool Fact: Kelly lived in Ireland for five months while studying international journalism. Name: Kaitlyn Knight Major: Apparel Design Minor: Public Relations Year: Senior Career Goal: To work with children’s clothing Personal Goal: To always be the best version of myself Cool Fact: Kaitlyn wants to own an alpaca someday. Name: Alyssa Lally Major: Journalism Minor: German Year: Senior Career Goal: To work in international journalism Personal Goal: To share the world’s stories Cool Fact: Alyssa started in print journalism but discovered a passion for digital media while attending K-State. Name: Jessica Powell Major: Public Relations Year: Junior Career Goal: To become a CEO Personal Goal: To visit all seven continents Cool Fact: Jessica was on exchange for the fall semester from Deakin University, Australia. Name: Alisha Shurr Major: Agricultural Communications and Journalism Year: Senior Career Goal: To obtain a Master’s degree in biological and agricultural engineering Personal Goal: To raise awareness of agriculture and combat common misperceptions Cool Fact: Alisha is a member of the Kansas State University team that placed second at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo livestock judging contest in March 2014. Name: Halee Thompson Major: Public Relations Minor: English Year: Senior Career Goal: To find a job in public relations in Manhattan Personal Goal: To work for a private public relations firm for travel and tourism Cool Fact: Halee loves to hunt with her 120 pound yellow Labrador Spud and take pictures of hunts. Name: Meaghan Wachter Major: Animal Sciences and Industry Minor: Journalism Year: Senior Career Goal: To be a sales representative in animal health Personal Goal: To raise a large and happy family Cool Fact: Meaghan went to England, Ireland and Scotland on the KSU Equine Study Tour for three weeks in 2012. Name: John Zetmeir Major: Journalism Year: Senior Career Goal: To work in sports journalism for 30-40 years before returning to either K-State or another university as a journalism professor Personal Goal: To be a mentor to K-State journalism students and sports journalism students Cool Fact: John’s mother is still a German citizen. He grew up in a bilingual household. UPDATE Stafffall 2014
- 27. Front row (left to right) Halee Thompson, Photo Editor Kaitlyn Knight, Copy Editor Alisha Shurr, Design Editor Bridget Beran, Head Copy Editor Back row (left to right) John Zetmeir, Editor-in-Chief David Thompson, Instructor Kelly Iverson, Head Multimedia Editor Meaghan Wachter, Copy Editor Jessica Powell, Editor Alyssa Lally, Multimedia Editor Michael Higgins, Copy Editor Photo by Halee Thompson Visiting Professor David Thompson, Ph.D., works with students in the Magazine and Feature Writing class, which writes articles for Update magazine. Left to right: Kelly Iverson, Jess Powell, John Zetmeir, Bridget Beran’s red sweater, David Thompson, Meaghan Wachter, Alisha Shurr, and Kaitlyn Knight. Photo by Halee Thompson
- 28. Members of the JMC National Advisory Council met on Oct. 17, 2014, in the K-State Alumni Center. From left: Charlene Lake, Debbie Leckron-Miller, Scott Kraft, Bill Miller, Paul Arnold, Birgit Wassmuth, Linda Cook, Willie the Wildcat (guest), Kristi Veitch (immediate past president), Lucy Reilly Fitch (president), Dan Biles, Lindsay Randall, and Sheila Walker (KSU Foundation, guest). James Williams attended the meeting via Zoom (on screen). Photo by Kelly Glasscock Kansas State University A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications Kedzie Hall 105 Manhattan, KS 66506 [email protected] NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. Postage PAID Permit 525 Manhattan, KS 66506