TMU 6(2) --January 20, 2009

Annual program plans
High school journalism advisers meet

The UNO School of Communication hosted more than a dozen area high school journalism teachers and publication advisers for a dinner to plan the annual contest and workshop.

Journalism advisers meet with UNO faculty

Dean Gail F. Baker and Director Jeremy Lipschultz joined Sherrie Wilson in speaking to the dinner group. Wilson reviewed the journalism contest rules. Hugh Reilly and Dave Ogden also attended the event at the Milo Bail Student Center.

The group enjoyed dinner and conversation

The group discussed backpack journalism, media convergence, declining advertising revenues and other issues facing high school journalism students.

Sherrie Wilson reviewed contest rules with advisers

Wilson organizes the journalism competition, which drew more than 300 high school students to campus last year for campus tours, a program and the awards ceremony.

Faculty members judge entries in newspaper journalism, yearbook, radio, television and new media.

Media pros
College press helps build careers

A panel of local media professionals will share their experiences working in student press on Thursday, Jan. 29, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

“Gateway Confessions” will take place in the Milo Bail Student Center from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Panelists include Christopher Burbach, Henry Cordes and Cindy Gonzalez, Omaha World-Herald reporters; Tom O’Connor, senior associate director, University of Nebraska Medical Center public affairs; and Wendy Townley, UNO assistant media relations director.

A question and answer session will follow.

The panel is sponsored by the Gateway, UNO’s student newspaper, the UNO Publications Board and the School of Communication. For more information, contact Karen Weber at 554-2246 or kweber@unomaha.edu

Of note
Excellence in action

Dave Ogden and co-editor Joel Rosen were interviewed for the National Public Radio program “Only a Game.” The show aired Jan. 17 on KIOS in Omaha and across the nation. Ogden also was interviewed by the Omaha World-Herald about his book, Reconstructing Fame: Sport, Race and Evolving Reputations.

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Alumnus Kevin Warneke recently had an article published in Grassroots Editor, a journal published by the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors. “The article, which I worked on for a seminar I took for my doctoral program, focused on whether weekly newspaper editors fit the role of servant leaders,” Warneke said. “I focused my study on Kurt Johnson, who serves as editor and publisher of the paper in Aurora.”

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Karen Dwyer has been named acting assistant director of the School of Communication for the 2009-10 academic year that begins in August. Shereen Bingham has been granted a Faculty Development Fellowship and will be on leave.

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Sandra M. Walsh, a professor in the Division of Nursing at Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida, is using a measurement scale adapted by Mike Hilt and Jeremy Lipschultz. Her course is called, Care of the Older Adult, and she teaches senior nursing students. “We have used your scale at Barry – We will present our preliminary findings at an International Society for Arts in Healthcare Conference in April as our new strategies include art-making activities with students and elders,” she said.

Did you know?
People in the news

Marge Whitted, a former Omaha World-Herald writer, has died at age 90. She took Journalism courses in the late 1930s at Omaha University. This was in an era when Journalism students often studied in English. “She was certainly one of our own and a lovely person,” Warren Francke said.

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Bob Carlson has been named to a three-year term as Chair of the Department of Art and Art History. He previously held the post on an interim basis. Carlson continues as special assistant to the dean, Gail F. Baker said.

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Adam Tyma has organized an interdisciplinary reading group around the idea of Critical Theory and Praxis. The group meets for the first time Feb. 6.

Footnotes
Evidence of excellence

1. Nearly 34 years ago, forward-looking members of UNO’s Department of Journalism and Department of Speech first met to discuss and eventually merge to form what is now the School of Communication. Bob Reilly’s historic sketch of Don Knoepfler, Hugh Cowdin and Mary Williamson captured the spirit of the moment.

UNO had one of the first integrated communication programs – a model that is very common today, as the field embraces a broad liberal arts perspective blended with practical professional training in broadcasting, journalism and speech communication.


The week in photos
Images from around the school

Owen “O Dawg” Toller is growing quickly.

Former UNO faculty member Hollis Glaser returned to Omaha recently.
She is seen here with colleague Shereen Bingham.

Dates & times
Mark calendars for interesting events

January

24 – Night on the Ice UNO Hockey, 5:30 p.m.

29 – Media panel, MBSC, 6-8 p.m.

30 – PRSA Professional Development Conference, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

February
12 - Valentine's Day Bake Sale, first floor ASH, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

March
12 - UkNOw Choices, MBSC Nebraska Room, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

31 - Communication Career Development Workshop, MBSC Dodge Room, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

April
16 - National Organ Donor Awareness event, MBSC Plaza, 11:30 a.m.
23 - High School Journalism Workshop, MBSC Ballroom, 12 p.m.
28 - PRSSA Presentations, MBSC Chancellor’s Room, 4 p.m.
30 - Scholarship Breakfast, MBSC Chancellor’s Room, 10 a.m.
5th Annual Alumni Panel, MBSC Dodge Rooms A & B, 1 p.m.
54th Annual Awards Banquet, Thompson Alumni Center, 6 p.m.

May
8 - Communication Graduation Breakfast, MBSC Ballroom School, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Commencement, Omaha Civic Auditorium, 2 p.m.